Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) will get a left-wing challenge from a rising Democratic star.
According to CNN, California Senate President Kevin de Leon (D) will run for the Senate, pitting him against the longtime senator in an all-party primary.
De Leon has been mulling a run for a while, and has received a lot of encouragement from progressives who are fed up with Feinstein’s relatively moderate positions — and how blandly she’s talked about much of President Trump’s actions.
His run could set up the first serious left-wing challenge of a sitting Democrat in recent memory. Feinstein, 84, recently announced she’d run for reelection. But California’s unique all-party primary system could make her hard to defeat. The top two vote-getters in a primary advance to the general election, and if two Democrats advance — a real possibility — Feinstein could draw Republican votes.
The race will likely be defined generationally — de Leon is 50 — as well as geographically and racially, as the Latino de Leon is Los Angeles-based in a state where northern Californians like Feinstein have long dominated politics.
He’s not the only one looking at a bid: Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer is also rumored to be mulling a run, though Steyer did so two years ago before deciding not to challenge now-Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA).
Good, it is about time somebody challenged her. She has one of the least progressive records of all Senate Democrats, but she comes from one of the most progressive states.
Hopefully it’s bye-bye DiFi.
This is fine. He seems like a good candidate. My only concern is that people don’t start kvetching about fraud etc. I would like the state to do everything they can to ensure a fair primary with everyone buying into the process and no one playing spoil sport when they lose.
Thanks to California’s electoral system they can run against each other without the threat of handing the seat to a Republican, so let the people decide.
It is time for her to retire. She has been good on certain issues, but abysmal on many others. I know nothing (yet) about potential challengers, but DiFi needs to bow out gracefully.
Go Kevin!