California Democratic Party isn't backing Dianne Feinstein
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein failed to win the official endorsement of the California Democratic Party as she seeks her fifth term in Washington, but her supporters say it won't hurt her with a broader swath of voters.
Party activists were more eager to back her primary challenger, state Senate leader Kevin de Leon, who is crafting himself as a fresh face with stronger progressive credentials. However, he too failed to earn the 60 percent support he needed to win the endorsement.
That means neither candidate will get the party's seal of approval or extra campaign cash leading into the June primary. The decision came from more than 3,000 activists gathered for the party's annual convention this weekend, an event aimed at generating enthusiasm for the midterm elections .
None of the four Democrats running to succeed Jerry Brown as governor secured an endorsement either.
For Feinstein, it's the first time she's failed to win the party's backing since her first successful U.S. Senate campaign in 1994. But she also has never faced a credible primary challenger. This time around, there's no Republican running in the contest, meaning a showdown between de Leon and Feinstein was likely from the start.
The top-two primary system in heavily Democratic California allows the two highest vote-getters to advance to the general election regardless of party identification.
Feinstein backers downplayed her failure to win the party endorsement, saying she remains popular among the wider California electorate and has millions of dollars needed to run a successful campaign.
"I think we're in good shape," said her political strategist, Bill Carrick.
De Leon called it "an astounding rejection of politics as usual" and a boost to his campaign's momentum.
He didn't appear to lose support at the weekend gathering despite a sexual misconduct scandal at the California Capitol, under de Leon's leadership. His former roommate, Tony Mendoza, resigned Thursday after an investigation concluded he likely sexually harassed six women. De Leon had called for him to be expelled.
The battle between Feinstein and de Leon underscores Democratic Party tensions still simmering after the 2016 election.
Feinstein, the so-called establishment pick, touted her long record in Washington and seniority on important committees as a benefit to California. She also highlighted her track record fighting for a ban on assault weapons, including her successful 1994 bill to do so, and her work to protect U.S. gymnasts from sexual assault.
De Leon, meanwhile, has argued Feinstein has lost touch with progressive California values and hasn't fought hard enough for young immigrants brought to the country illegally.
"It should never take a primary challenge for California's leadership to stand up for California values," he told delegates ahead of the vote.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/california-democratic-party-endorsing-sen-feinstein-53348416
Requiem for an aging democratic Senator - kicked to the curb by progressives who seek a younger more hard left candidate!
Frankly Vic, I don't know how they could get more hard left than Nancy Pelosi, she's already a comrade of V.I, Lenin. I suppose that they could go to an avowed Communist (I would suggest that they look on the campus at Berkley), but such a person couln't get through a general election, not even in California.
Agree on most of that, but getting through a general election in CA is quite easy for any democrat, no matter what policy they propose, because so many of the voters there are simply giving dems a thank you vote for being allowed into the country & having voting rights.
"De Leon, meanwhile, has argued Feinstein has lost touch with progressive California values and hasn't fought hard enough for young immigrants brought to the country illegally.
The true answer, I believe. Illegals in CA mean more than progressing with the rest of the U. S.
It's how one get's elected out there
At eighty four years young Senator Feinstein will be ninety before she runs for re-election in 2024. Why not? California will decide and one thing is for sure, California will not be sending a republican to the US Senate any time soon. The battle will be in swing states for the Senate. The House is a better bet for the Democrats in 2018 though. At some point everyone must decide to hang it up or else have someone else make that decision for them. I trust Dianne Feinstein to know when. A sitting Senator has a lot of advantages so unless things change I would not bet against Feinstein winning another term, yet...
Yup, that's almost impossible, as in this case.
For those who don't know CA has a crazy law that allows the two top candidates to square off regardless of party, thus you are reduced to, as in this case, two democrats running against each other as if in a primary.
And, of course, it works both ways but you wouldn't want to admit that, would you, vickie.
Source of that law please.
Thank you Paula
For those who question everything
I count on you guys to give me the sources I need.
Tyvm for the info.
Great law!
It's obvious the batty old biddy is starting to succumb to dementia, and is an ongoing gift to the Republicans, along with slimeboy Schumer.
I guess I'd think that of someone who kept making fools of my politicians (e.g., ignoring that doddering slimebag Grassley--what an appropriate name THAT is--and releasing the transcripts of committee hearings that Grassley wasn't going to release even though he promised his own constituents he'd do).
So, in the article, which I'm sure you read, there is no Republican Candidate, this is solely a red meat fight between the Democrats in California. Will the old beast remain or will the new beast be elected? It's funny that the Democrats are shredding themselves from within. As they said, people still angered over the 2016 elections are pointing at Feinstein as a causal factor.
Looks like more Democratic infighting. I wonder if it's an age thing, a race thing, or is it that nowadays a Democrat in CA has to be so far left it would make Karl Marx blush?
Marx would be proud of CA. The 10 things he wanted done have been accomplished
Spare us. When your state is better comment then.
You just made me realize my state is better.
MA is just as blue as CA and like CA it no longer has a middle class and even less of a two party system.
One thing it does have over CA is a lot less poverty or crime
I find this funny
I was stationed in SF when the murders of Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone happened. She took control and did a great job. But over the years since, I have thought that she needed to leave public office because I now feel that her interests have become more self serving and less for us here.
I'll probably vote for her. She's done a good job for sure even though she is getting pretty old. I think she'll probably win anyway and if she doesn't we'll still send an even more progressive Democrat to the Senate, so it won't bother me. I'll be happy either way. Also I think Gavin Newsom is going to be a great Governor and I really don't see anyone here as a serious challenger. California just gets deeper blue every election. One of the reasons I am glad I moved here years ago and plan on staying here the rest of my life and being buried here.
I didn’t realize she’s 84 years old. If she gets another 6 year term, she’ll be 90. Apparently, the only way she intends to leave public office is to be carried out feet first.
I left the party ten years ago, in part because I saw it sliding so far Left as to be out of touch with reality. Now, not even Dianne Feinstein of San Francisco can get the approval of the party. That shows you just how far away from the center the party has moved.
She's actually supportive of our military and recognizes that uncontrolled illegal immigration is a problem - things the Democratic Party used to believe in; things a Democratic president actually believed in (Clinton). Now they think of her as a conservative nutjob, I guess. That. Is sad.