Here’s some big news today out of California:
Politico highlighted three days ago that Porter was giving serious consideration to running for the Senate:
Rep. Katie Porter is weighing a campaign launch for Sen. Dianne Feinstein‘s seat — potentially even before her veteran Democratic colleague announces her plans for 2024.
Fresh off a bruising battleground reelection win, the third-term Porter is now considering a bid for what is likely to be an open Senate seat in deep-blue California as a next step, according to five Democrats familiar with her plans. Feinstein is widely expected to retire after her current term, but she isn’t making any firm moves yet ahead of what’s expected to be an official announcement within the next couple months.
That may not be quick enough for what could turn into a vicious succession race among Democrats. California Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee and Adam Schiff are also among the slate of Democrats eyeing the Senate seat, which Feinstein first won in 1992.
Schiff, who first said he was eyeing the Senate after passing on a House leadership bid in November, has been making calls for weeks and said he would consider running if Feinstein does not run. Porter has now started making her own calls about a run, though she has not discussed a specific timeline entering the race.
Still, several Democrats said they expect Porter to launch her campaign soon.
“They’re moving real fast,” said a Democratic consultant, granted anonymity to discuss the shadow race to succeed Feinstein. “They have cash and are assembling a team.”
Feinstein will be making an official announcement about her plans this year:
At 89, Feinstein is the oldest sitting senator, and in recent years concerns have grown that she may no longer have the stamina and mental sharpness for the job.
In a brief interview Monday evening, Feinstein said she was committed and looking forward to finishing this term.
“Yes. Absolutely,” she said. “There’s still two years, you know. A lot can happen in two years.”
Feinstein added that a decision on whether she will run again in 2024 will come “probably by spring.”
And I just received this e-mail from Porter’s Senate campaign:
I want you to hear it from me first: I’m running for the U.S. Senate.
More on the “why” and the “how” below, but first I want to ask if you’ll be a Founding Donor to our campaign. Reporting a strong early fundraising number will show the strength of our movement, and I want you on our team.
Why I’m running
I don’t look, live, or talk like most Members of Congress. Instead of attending swanky fundraisers with corporate lobbyists, I’m one of a dozen Members of Congress who rejects all contributions from corporate PACs and federal lobbyists. I’m leading the fight to ban congressional stock trading and was the *only* Democrat to oppose earmarks (which are a way of funding Members’ pet projects). I’m a single mom of three school-aged kids who drives a minivan and uses a whiteboard to break down the math behind corruption and greed. I’ve spent my career—both before and after being elected to the House—taking on special interests and delivering for working people, and I’m running for the Senate because Californians deserve a warrior fighting for them in Washington.
How this is going to work
This isn’t going to be an easy race, but I wouldn’t be asking for your support if I didn’t know we have what it takes to win. But the reality is, reaching voters in our large and populous state requires serious resources. Because California has a unique system where the top two vote getters in the primary (regardless of party) advance to the general, there are so many unknowns in this race. Building a robust campaign that reaches Californians from all walks of life will be key to our long-term success.
My pitch: Become a Founding Donor
Winning this race will only be possible because of grassroots supporters. This isn’t BS—contributions of $10 or $20 are the only reason I was able to win three competitive House races and compete with nearly ten million dollars in Republican super PAC spending this past year—that’s remarkable, and I’m so grateful. But now we need to reach even more voters and run an even larger campaign, and we’ll be up against even more spending from our opponents. Contributing right now will help us kickstart this campaign.
Thank you for considering making a contribution, and thanks for being a part of Team Porter. Onward!
Katie Porter
Click here to donate to Porter’s campaign.