California Democrats endorse de Leon for US Senate race, snubbing Feinstein

[Miles Archer]

California Democrats endorse de León for US Senate race, snubbing Feinstein

https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article214913325.html

The California Democratic Party on Saturday endorsed U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s challenger, highlighting the moderate lawmaker’s political disconnect with liberal activists in her home state.

The nod provides Kevin de León with a boost of momentum for his long-shot bid to unseat the 26-year-incumbent. After finishing second and 32 points behind Feinstein in the June primary, de León spent months calling more than 300 members of the party’s executive board to earn their support.

His work paid off Saturday when 65 percent of the voting members endorsed him over Feinstein at a gathering in Oakland.

“Earning the endorsement of so many leaders and activists of the California Democratic Party isn’t just an honor and a privilege; today’s vote is a clear-eyed rejection of politics as usual in Washington, D.C.,” de León said in a statement. “We have presented Californians with the first real alternative to the worn-out Washington playbook in a quarter-century.“

[RandySF]

1. Oh boy

This is going sideways fast.

[AlexSFCA]

2. Feinstein is one of the most liberal senators

but it seems nothing is liberal enough for California. CA Dem party should be thinking about the state of US democracy and national security. Feinstein is on intel committee and vastly experienced, her experise is needed as never before. On top of that, by all acounts she will be serving her last term so it is likely she is gonna put up a fight and release hidden and perharps classified info to the public should reps decide to hide or redact it. Plus judiciary committee, de leon won’t be helpful in defeating judicial nominees.

[SHRED]

3. We are trend setters

After all.

[Hortensis]

10. Agree entirely that this would be very bad timing for

our nation. No accident so much focus has been placed on taking out our party's strongest leaders.

But Californians will vote their wishes for their senator, as they always do. Senator Feinstein is not exactly among our most liberal reps, but senators usually are not. They have to appeal to the entire state, and California has a lot of conservatives, especially among Hispanics.

In the primary Californians voted 44% for Feinstein and 12% for de Leon, but he still placed second so moved to the GE instead of being knocked out.

The GE should help us see just how big an effect our party's move left has on the whole state. I do worry that Democrats could lose some of this era's dominance over California politics by going too far left. Nothing lasts forever, including the caged tiger phenomenon of California conservatives.

At least de Leon would bring some experience to the position. Unlike some who are quixotically elevated, he would not be a clueless amateur no more ready for his position than someone "elected" to be an accountant who had no idea what a spread sheet was for.

[RandySF]

4. Does the party actually have to do anything for DeLeon?

[jaysunb]

5. No. Not a damn thing !

But we win the seat either way. Losing the seniority is bad but I can see another kind of wave coming too.

[Hortensis]

11. More like "can" they. He lost to Feinstein 12% to 44%

in the primary, after all.

Notably, De Leon is more popular with the California party leadership not just because he and they are farther left than Feinstein, but very significantly because he works in California and sees them a lot, while Feinstein has worked in DC for years and has a rather distant relationship with them.

But that terrible 12% showing in the primary: Like most states, California has a lot of moderate liberals and conservatives, and people running for the senate have to appeal to a majority of their state's electorate. That's just reality. De Leon barely managed to keep the closest Republican from advancing to the GE instead.

So can these Democratic party leaders somehow transfer their liking for de Leon to the voters? At least enough to make a respectable showing? If hostile press weren't pumping him up and trying to make it seem he may well oust one of our most powerful senators, how many would know his name? But they are, far beyond that 12%, itself at least somewhat a result of their hard work.

[msongs]

6. in california people are allowed political opinions and can vote on them nt

[NBachers]

7. Well, there's another contribution I'll make immediately. Here's the link, if anyone's so-inclined.

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dianne-feinstein-2

[Raine]

8. I'm sticking with Feinstein

they should not endorse one Democrat over another.

[ansible]

12. That's the disadvantage of the democratic party completely dominating CA

When you have no enemies to fight, you turn on each other instead.

[Raine]

16. Yes, then it comes down

to whose more pure in one form or another, not good.

[empedocles]

9. The 'red hots' strike again

[DFW]

13. Not helpful that a party leadership is telling its rank and file to fuck off

I would have though a more neutral stance made more sense. This wasn't something done by referendum. It was decided by less than 1000 people among a voter base of millions. How very Republican of them, come to think of it.

[KitSileya]

14. There's something fishy about this.

CA state Dem convention delegates voted not to endorse either. This is apparently a vote done electronically in which not all eligible were even told about. Malcolm P. Johnson (@admiralmpj) is tweeting about it, as he was a delegate to the state convention.

And how hypocritical isn't this from the Bernie wing, when DeLeon got 11% and Feinstein 44% in the primary? They're essentially cheering over superdelegate endorsements of someone who didn't win the popular vote. It's so hypocritical it is disgusting.

[MrsCoffee]

15. So. They didn't endorse her for the primary either and she got 70% of the vote.

She will win easily regardless of their effort.