The Monte Sereno City Council member recently announced her intention to run for the 21st Assembly District seat, now occupied by Joe Simitian, which will open up in November 2004.

"I absolutely love being a council member in Monte Sereno," the Democrat said. "But I'm a good person, I'm a good candidate and I would represent the district well in the Assembly."

Simitian has said he plans to run for the California State Senate next year. His 21st District stretches along San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and includes Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, San Carlos and Palo Alto.

Nesbet, 34, was elected to the council in 2000, served as mayor in 2001 and was reelected in November by an overwhelming majority of residents.

According to Nesbet, the time that she has spent serving on the council and various regional committees has given her the experience she needs to be the "best representative" for district residents.

Tentatively, her platform includes an examination of existing state regulations—"I think we've got a lot of laws on the books already. It's a matter of knowing what the laws are," she said.

Through her involvement with the Children and Families First Commission and Services for Brain Injury, Nesbet has developed a particular interest in the elderly and the younger populations. Nesbet said she wants to ensure that in an era of budget cuts and a dismal economy there is sufficient funding to serve those groups.

Additionally, "I think it's important to support women who are running" for a political office, Nesbet said. At the moment, Nesbet is the sole female candidate on the primary ballot for the Assembly seat, running against four men, she said.

Those four are Peninsula-based professionals, Nesbet said. As a result, she is hoping to increase her exposure farther north in the Bay Area, relying on campaigning and the support of contacts to get the word out. Nesbet is also focusing on fundraising for her campaign.

Monte Sereno Mayor David Baxter is one of her supporters.

"I have the utmost respect for Barbara. She's extremely involved in a variety of service activities," Baxter said. "She'd make a great Assembly member because she's really aware and involved in activities and very dedicated to the community."

Having worked together for two years on the council and on the previous incarnation of the city's site and architecture commission, Baxter said he has found Nesbet to be "bright and articulate, a concerned and giving person."

Susan Fuller, a retired Santa Clara County librarian, worked with Nesbet for three years on the Santa Clara County Library board.

"She is a great board member—very supportive and strong, very committed to library services," said Fuller, a Santa Clara resident.

As a "great problem-solver and good listener," Fuller said, Nesbet's skills "would certainly be well-used in other elected office."