Third District Supervisor Gail Marshall, whose representative area includes Isla Vista, announced Thursday she would not seek re-election to a third term.

Marshall, who narrowly survived a recall campaign against her in fall 2002, said she will leave politics to pursue the “pleasures of private business and family life.”

The recall campaign was a hard-fought and frequently acrimonious struggle between Marshall and former Sheriff Jim Thomas. Many of Thomas’ supporters hailed from agricultural regions of the Third District, and alleged that Marshall did not represent their interests and was propped up by urban voting blocs such as I.V. Marshall defeated the recall by just over 3 percent of the number of votes she needed to stay in office.

“When I decided to run for office, I pledged to preserve the natural beauty of this region while promoting a vibrant economy,” Marshall said in a statement. “We have done just that and proven that good environmental stewardship and stimulation of the economy are not enemies; they go hand in hand.”

Marshall said she has experienced significant personal growth over her two terms in office.

“I grew more comfortable speaking in public and learned the virtues of patience and taking criticism,” Marshall said. “In addition, after snacking at about 4,186 meetings I welcomed the exercise from walking neighborhoods and wearing out seven pairs of shoes.”

-Daily Nexus Staff Report