SACRAMENTO — A well-known California lawmaker is tossing his hat into the ring to run for mayor of Sacramento.

Dr. Richard Pan, a practicing pediatrician, informally discussed his bid for mayor on Bill Wong's The Ronin Project Podcast. The Democratic politician and physician served in the California Senate from 2014-2022, serving the 6th Senate district.

Pan gained notoriety for authoring some of the nation's toughest childhood vaccine mandates — and taking the heat for that, which at times turned physical.

He joins nearly half a dozen others including:

• Flojaune Cofer, an epidemiologist and senior director of policy for public health advocates
• Maggy Krell, a criminal prosecutor and human rights lawyer
• Steve Hansen a former city councilman and the city's first openly gay mayoral candidate
• Kevin McCarty, a current state assemblyman
• Jeff Harris, who has reportedly filed paperwork but has not formally announced