Race to replace Feinstein already taking shape

Political junkies, rejoice!

With a year and a few weeks to go until the March 5, 2024 California primary, the race to replace California’s Sen. Dianne Feinstein is already beginning to take shape.

Incumbent Democrat Feinstein had for months been noncommittal on whether she would run for reelection. She’s 89, and with a growing chorus of whispers about her declining cognitive abilities those seeking to replace were clearly hoping she would decide to retire from politics after five terms.

Their hopes were elevated in October, when Feinstein said she begged off on being promoted to the post of Senate president pro tempore, third in line to be president and a role that would traditionally go to her as the senior member of the majority party.

Aspirants finally got their answer last Tuesday when Feinstein announced she would finish out her current term but not seek reelection in 2024.

With a year and a few weeks to go until the March 5, 2024 California primary, the race to replace California’s Sen. Dianne Feinstein is already beginning to take shape.

As of today, the two most prominent Feinstein-successor hopefuls are both Southern California members of Congress – Adam Schiff and Katie Porter.  But Northern Californians, Rep. Barbara Lee and Rep. Ro Khanna, are reportedly interested. And there could be others – many others.

Schiff rose to national prominence for his role as the lead prosecutor in the first impeachment of Donald J. Trump and has seldom been out of the news ever since as a frequent critic of Trump and a leading figure investigating the Jan. 6 2021 Capitol riot. When Republicans won control of the House, Schiff was removed as chair of the House Intelligence Committee.

When he’s not after Trump and the Jan. 6 participants, Schiff works for a wish list of Democratic goals – from a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United, Medicare for all and the Green New Deal, among others. He has been endorsed by 23 present or past House members.

Few Californians remember it, but Adam Schiff was the name of a fictional no-nonsense prosecutor on the TV series Law & Order, which ran from 1990 to 2000.

“I started to watch to make sure he was a good character… I was happy to see he is a pretty good guy,” Schiff says.

Series producer Dick Wolf denies any connection between the real Schiff and the fictional Schiff. The real-life Schiff, however, was a prosecutor before turning to politics.

Adam Schiff’s wife is named Eve and the couple declares they have heard all the jokes.

Katie Porter is basing her campaign on a vigorous anti-Wall Street pitch – declaring she will fight for the common man against greedy corporations

“Californians need a leader in the Senate who will stand up to corporate greed,” Porter declares.

Porter, from Orange County, was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2018, and won re-election in 2020 and 2022, She has been endorsed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Porter attracted widespread media attention when she read a book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F— on the House floor during the protracted balloting for House Speaker finally won by fellow Californian Kevin McCarthy.

Before being elected to Congress, Porter was a law professor at UC Irvine. She is a single mother of three.

Porter attracted widespread media attention when she read a book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F— on the House floor during the protracted balloting for House Speaker finally won by fellow Californian Kevin McCarthy.

Schiff has a war chest of nearly $25 million; Porter has collected $22.6 million. Owners of television stations, advertising agencies and political consulting firms can start ordering new carpeting.

Big-city California mayors (Pete Wilson, Feinstein) have made it to the U. S. Senate and it is not a long leap to speculate that others might give it a try. Possibilities include London Breed of San Francisco, former mayor Libby Schaaf of Oakland, Todd Gloria of San Diego and Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento.

Other potential candidates include:

Xavier Becerra, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services , former Attorney General of California (2017–2021), and former U.S. Representative for California’s 34th congressional district (1993–2017)

Lou Correa, U.S. Representative for California’s 47th congressional district (2017–present).

Holly Mitchell, Los Angeles County supervisor (2020–present).

Gavin Newsom, Governor of California (2019–present. He could appoint himself).

In politics, there is always the possibility of dramatic and sudden change, but so far, the developing situation seems to be All Democrats All the Time. There is little mention of a Republican Senate candidate.

Republicans are vastly outnumbered in the Golden State. Last October, the Democrats had 10,283,258 registered voters in California, or 46.87 percent of voters, while Republicans trailed with 5,232,094 voters or 23.85 percent, barely ahead of No Party Preference at 22.53 percent.

Hang on, junkies.