Rep. Xavier Becerra of California, the highest ranking Latino in the U.S. House of Representatives, announced that he will not run for the Senate next year, and will instead focus on his re-election campaign for his congressional seat.

The Los Angeles congressman spent the last six months considering a run for Barbara Boxer's Senate seat. However, he told The Sacramento Bee earlier this week that he would rather "stick with the House."

If Becerra had decided to enter the Senate race to replace the retiring Democratic Sen. Boxer, he would have faced a tough challenge from Attorney General Kamala Harris. Since she announced in January that she would run for the seat, Harris has been considered the top contender in the heavily Democrat state.

"My decision came down to this: Where can I make the biggest difference for hardworking people like my parents?" Becerra said, according to NBC News. "I've got much more work to do, and I'm in a very strong place to lead. I'm ready to move forward in the House of Representatives."

If Becerra remains in the House, he will have the potential to move up in the hierarchy of House Democrat leadership. He is currently chairman of the House Democratic Conference and fourth in the Democrats' ranks, giving him a realistic chance to one day become a Democratic leader and speaker, if Democrats win the House.

The 57-year-old lawmaker also represents a district that includes much of downtown Los Angeles and is more than 65 percent Latino. Latinos also make up a large segment of the population in California.

Along with Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and billionaire Tom Steyer have also shut down suggestions of running for Boxer's seat.

Meanwhile, Republicans aren't likely to win the Senate seat in the Blue state.