California Democrats are fighting over Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat after the 89-year-old appeared to announce she is retiring.
Feinstein, who has held her seat since 1992 and was the Golden State’s first female senator, has tiptoed around announcing whether she would run for reelection in 2024 while challengers lined up against her.
Multiple prominent Democrats in the blue stronghold state have made moves behind the scenes to prepare in pursuit of the six-year post, setting the stage for one of the most competitive and expensive Senate primaries in the 2024 election.
SENATE 2024: HERE ARE THE SENATE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RETIRE IN NEXT ELECTION CYCLE
Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) opened the fight for the seat, declaring on Jan. 10 she had her sights set on the upper chamber in Congress.
The liberal star’s move started pushing others to announce their intention to run.
Here is a look at the top Golden State Democrats rumored to be considering a run.
Katie Porter
Following in the footsteps of her mentor, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Porter ended speculation about her Senate ambitions when she announced for the 2024 race. Her campaign claims that she hauled in over $1.3 million since her campaign launch. An outspoken liberal, Porter has gained a reputation for grilling corporate executives during House committee hearings.
Porter has been a rising star in liberal circles and managed to win a House seat in a competitive district two times in a row, most recently fending off a tough Republican challenge in the midterm elections.
Adam Schiff
A little more than two weeks after Porter’s announcement and roughly a day after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) removed him from his post on the Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced his plans to run for Feinstein’s seat.
Schiff quickly rose through the Democratic ranks in the House, becoming a lead impeachment manager against former President Donald Trump. Despite his high profile, Schiff bowed out of the running for a top House Democratic leadership post in spite of rumors he would challenge Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) for the minority leader role.
This fueled further speculation that he has been eyeing a Senate run, and he had admitted that he was considering a 2024 bid. He has reportedly sought advice from former Sen. Barbara Boxer about whether to run.
Barbara Lee
The long-serving Oakland congresswoman was reportedly vetted by Gov. Gavin Newsom as a possible replacement for Vice President Kamala Harris’s old Senate seat. Ultimately, Newsom opted for Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), but Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) has discussed the prospects of making the leap over to the upper chamber with her family.
Lee is expected to announce her campaign sometime in February, Black History Month, as a way to mark her entrance as the first black candidate in the 2024 race.
Ro Khanna
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) has been prodded to run by allies of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Schiff and Porter may be fundraising juggernauts, but Khanna has made significant inroads with the Silicon Valley elite, which may help him to undercut such fiscal firepower, according to Politico.
Eric Swalwell
Chatter about Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) entering the California Senate race has been mostly moot, but he exhibited ambitions for higher office when he ran for president in 2020. He is also among the most high-profile Democrats in the House and was recently booted from the House Intelligence Committee by Republicans.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Ultimately, a Democratic primary may not settle the showdown for the Senate. Under California’s primary system, the top two Democrats could wind up facing off in the general election. This happened when Harris vied for the seat and faced then-Rep. Loretta Sanchez in 2016.
The 2024 Senate map nationally is expected to be difficult for Democrats, but California remains a safe bet. In 2024, 20 Democrats and three Democratic-aligned independent senators are up for reelection, dramatically eclipsing the Republicans’ 11. Having far more seats to defend is expected to give Republicans a fundraising and logistical advantage, though Democrats defied expectations in the 2022 midterm cycle.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s decision not to run for reelection and to include campaign announcements from other candidates.
