Congresswoman Diane Watson, 33rd District, announced on February 11 that she was retiring from politics after serving in her current position since 2001. Watson’s term will expire in November, according to Sharita Moon, a spokesperson for the congresswoman, when a replacement will be selected during the 2010 U.S. Congressional Election. Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, who represents the 47th State Assembly District, formally announced Wednesday that she will run for Watson’s congressional seat. Watson has endorsed Bass as her replacement, according to Moon.

Watson, 76, who was not available for an interview earlier this week, issued a statement that she is retiring to spend more time with her ailing mother.

“I am stepping down to spend more time with my mother who is 100 years old, and who recently suffered a broken hip. I have enjoyed my years of public service to better the lives of my constituents in the 33rd Congressional District, residents of the great State of California, and the nation,” Watson said.

The 33rd Congressional District encompasses South Los Angeles, Wilshire Center and Hancock Park, as well as Hollywood and the Los Feliz District. Watson, a Democrat, currently serves on the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee, where she is chair of the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization and Procurement. She is also chair of the Congressional Entertainment Industries Caucus, where she has worked to keep jobs in Los Angeles by promoting incentives to keep filming in the area. Watson was also involved with the recent effort to ensure California was qualified for “Race to the Top” education funding, and last year helped to secure federal stimulus funding that prevented teacher layoffs in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Prior to her service in the House of Representatives, Watson was a member of the California State Senate from 1978 to 1998. She chaired the state senate’s Health and Human Services Committee from 1981 through 1998, where she advocated for children, improvements to healthcare and consumer protections. In 1993, she authored the California Birth Defects Monitoring Act, which led to pioneering research into the causes of birth defects; and the Residential Facilities Act, which set quality of care standards for assisted living facilities for senior citizens.