Democratic California Rep. Barbara Lee recently informed the members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Wednesday that she is planning to run for the Senate seat that is currently occupied by longtime senator, Dianne Feinstein, according to two individuals who are close to the situation.
The 89-year-old Feinstein, who just recently announced that she is planning to finish her current term in the upper chamber of Congress, has yet to say whether or not she is going to run for re-election in 2024, but that hasn’t prevented a number of her colleagues from vying for the possible vacant position.
Lee said she would make the announcement official when it was “appropriate” to do so.
“Right now, in respect to [Sen.] Dianne Feinstein and the floods and what I’m doing, I’m doing my work,” she commented. “And we’ll let them know when I intend to go to the next step. But now’s the time not to talk about that.”
The congresswoman then said that she’s “not really doing anything except letting colleagues know that there’ll be a time to talk about the Senate race.”
The remarks by Lee come after Rep. Katie Porter, also a California Democrat, announced that she would be running for the Senate in 2024 via a video ad shared on Twitter.
California needs a warrior in the Senate—to stand up to special interests, fight the dangerous imbalance in our economy, and hold so-called leaders like Mitch McConnell accountable for rigging our democracy.
Today, I'm proud to announce my candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2024. pic.twitter.com/X1CSE8T12B
— Katie Porter (@katieporteroc) January 10, 2023
“California needs a warrior in the Senate — to stand up to special interests, fight the dangerous imbalance in our economy, and hold so-called leaders like Mitch McConnell accountable for rigging our democracy. Today, I’m proud to announce my candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2024,” the tweet read.
The Daily Wire reported, “Feinstein responded to Porter’s announcement with a brief statement, saying that she was preoccupied with the devastating storms that were still ravaging California and would think about the next election at a later date.”
Statement from Feinstein on Porter's announcement: "Everyone is of course welcome to throw their hat in the ring, and I will make an announcement concerning my plans for 2024 at the appropriate time."
— Grace Segers (@Grace_Segers) January 10, 2023
“Everyone is of course welcome to throw their hat in the ring, and I will make an announcement concerning my plans for 2024 at the appropriate time. Right now I’m focused on ensuring California has all the resources it needs to cope with the devastating storms slamming the state and leaving more than a dozen dead,” she commented.
Oh and it seems there’s a third individual who is interested in the potentially empty seat, according to the folks at news outlet POLITICO. Who might that be, you’re probably wondering? Well, I can guarantee it’s probably someone you despise. Any guesses?
How about Rep. Adam “Shifty” Schiff. Yep, he’s realizing now that any work he might do in the House to try and further the progressive agenda is over now due to the takeover of the Chamber by the Republican Party. He’s clearly wanting to help ensure that the Senate has extra Democrats to try and swing things in the left’s favor.
Schiff has stated in the past that he might end up taking a shot at the seat if Feinstein decides to retire, and according to a person close to him, he’s already had a discussion with the longtime senator about that very possibility.
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