Jeff Stone Leaves Door of Opportunity Open

Former State Sen. Jeff Stone Leaves Door of Opportunity Open When it Comes to Politics

Former Republican state Senator Jeff Stone, who resigned his seat in October 2019, has confirmed to Uken Report that he is not running in the newly drawn state senatorial district in 2022. But, added that, “I always leave the door of opportunity open for review and consideration.”

Stone’s confirmation that he is not planning to run for any public office in California at this time comes amid hyper speculation that he will run and challenge Sen. Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore. Frankly, Melendez is termed out of the state Legislature in 2022.

Stone resigned to become the Western Regional Director of the United States Department of Labor in the Trump administration.

“I will be back on a winning team,” Stone told Uken Report at the time. He also said, “I put up the good fight in Sacramento, but it was difficult to get anything done in a Democrat-controlled Legislature.” Stone was one of 11 Republicans in the state Senate.

At the time, Democrats held more than two-thirds of both the state Senate and state Assembly. Not much has changed since then. Following the 2020 elections, Democrats won a 31-9 majority in the Senate and a 60-19 majority in the House. The party also controlled the governorship, creating a Democratic state government trifecta. At the start of the 2021 session, California was one of six state legislatures where Democrats had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers.

Stone’s tenure in the Trump Administration was short-lived. When President Trump lost his campaign for re-election in November 2020, Stone’s tenure ended Jan. 20, 2021 as well.

At the time Stone resigned, some called him aa quitter, a term with which Stone takes umbrage.

“I did not consider it ‘quitting’ to leave my Senate position to take a higher position within the federal government anymore than ‘quitting’ my City Council seat to become a Riverside County Supervisor or ‘quitting’ my Riverside County Supervisor seat to become a new state Senator,” Stone said. “I have always had a goal of serving at every level of government and I accomplished that goal.”

Stone said he was honored President Trump chose him to work in his administration at the U.S. Department of Labor. Of course, when Trump lost his campaign for re-election, Stone’s tenure ended January 20 as well.

Stone said he currently splits his time between his homes in La Quinta and Henderson, Nev. He still owns and helps operate his compounding pharmacy, Innovative Compounding Pharmacy, in Murrieta. He is celebrating his 40th anniversary this year of being a licensed pharmacist and owning six pharmacies in California.

“I am doing a lot of private sector consulting in Nevada and California which I am thoroughly enjoying,” Stone told Uken Report. “I am now 65 years old, and I am very proud of my tenure and numerous public accomplishments over the past 28 years.”

His public service included the following:

• 12 years: Mayor and Council member in the City of Temecula
• 10 years as a Riverside County Supervisor (3rd District).
• 5 years as a California State Senator
• 14 months as the Regional Representative for the United States Department of Labor (West Coast)

“I am also enjoying spending a lot of time with my wife, four children, and seven grandchildren, who now remain my highest priority,” Stone said.

Melendez serves California’s 28th Senate District, which currently is entirely in Riverside County. It stretches from the vineyards of the Temecula Valley to the Colorado River and includes the cities of Blythe, Canyon Lake, Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, Lake Elsinore, La Quinta, Murrieta, Temecula, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage and Wildomar.

What it will look like after redistricting remains to be seen. Redistricting is the process by which states draw new Congressional and state legislative districts following the U.S. Census. Officials sent data from the 2020 U.S. Census to states in early 2021 to begin the process of redistricting. As of the 2020 census, California was one of four states where an independent commission was responsible for redistricting.