CA-SEN: Barbara Lee will apparently run for Senate.

[RandySF]

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=AvV15_Bei_PQ71OyjuxJkQ

Nicholas Wu

@nicholaswu12
NEW - Rep. Barbara Lee just told Black Caucus members in their lunch today that she’s running for Senate, per two people familiar

9:46 AM · Jan 11, 2023
·
93.6K
Views

[SheltieLover]

1. Against Katie?

[RandySF]

4. Yep

It's been over 30 years since Feinstain was elected.

[SheltieLover]

6. I'm all in for Katie!

Dunno who this woman is, but she's not Katie.

Thx!

[maxsolomon]

15. Not hard to find out who she is.

12th District, AKA Oakland. In Congress 12 terms.

77 years old (I'd say that's an issue, but I'm DU's worst Ageist).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Lee

[SheltieLover]

17. Thx

Kind of busy here today.

She sounds great, from what others are saying, but she's not Katie.

I can just imagine qpukes in senate soiling their Depends upon heraring Katie's announcement. They wouldn't be at all comfortable with her whiteboard.

[maxsolomon]

20. Meh, the Senate is a sclerotic institution.

There is no "Debate". There is only bloviating. Repukes wouldn't listen to her or look at her whiteboard.

[SheltieLover]

23. True but it will make them squirm.

[MagickMuffin]

29. Representative Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Barbara Lee has been representing California’s 13th District since 1998. She is the highest ranking African American woman in Democratic Leadership, serving as Co-Chair of the Policy and Steering Committee. She also serves on the Budget Committee and the powerful Appropriations Committee, which oversees all federal government spending.

[JohnSJ]

2. She is very experienced and seasoned. I fully expect others to join the race if Senator

Feinstein announces, and after our weather issues are under control

[leftieNanner]

9. Even if Feinstein announces

That she is running, they still have a primary. I hope she bows out gracefully.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

11. Senator Feinstein has made it very clear privately that she doesn't intend to seek another term.

Just as Rep. Lee just let people know privately that she intends to run for the seat.

[leftieNanner]

30. Thanks for the info nt

[Celerity]

47. we have a jungle primary in CA, all run at once, every party, top two advance to the general

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonpartisan_blanket_primary#California

California's blanket primary system was ruled unconstitutional in California Democratic Party v. Jones in 2000. It forced political parties to associate with candidates they did not endorse. Then in 2004, Proposition 62, an initiative to bring the nonpartisan blanket primary to California, failed with only 46% of the vote. However, Proposition 14, a nearly identical piece of legislation, passed on the June 2010 ballot with 53.7% of the vote.

Under Proposition 14, statewide and congressional candidates in California, regardless of party preference, participate in the nonpartisan blanket primary. However, a candidate must prefer the major party on the ballot that they are registered in. After the June primary election, the top two candidates advance to the November general election. That does not affect the presidential primary, local offices, or non-partisan offices such as judges and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The California Secretary of State now calls the system a "Top-Two Primary".

[leftieNanner]

50. Yes you do

Thanks for the detailed information.

[wryter2000]

3. Wow

She's awesome. But I hope our great Dems don't beat each other up in the primaries.

[RandySF]

5. We could end up with Dem vs Dem in November, 2024.

[JohnSJ]

7. Here in California we have what is called a jungle primary, where the top two vote

getters run against each other in the general

That means two Democrats can run against each other in the general

The only exception to this is the office of President

[Just A Box Of Rain]

12. It seems very likely that we could find two Democrats squaring off in Nov. 2024.

That's what happened when Kamala Harris defeated Democrat Loretta Sanchez for her Senate seat in 2016.

Porter vs Schiff looks like the likeliest of scenarios at this juncture.

[JohnSJ]

16. Yes. Problem we have is a lot of crackpots jump in, and it is not unusual to see 30 candidates

running in the primary, and makes for a very confusing ballot for some, unless you pay attention

[Just A Box Of Rain]

24. It would not surprise me in the least if 30 candidates jumped into this primary race

and that most will be "crackpots."

I would also not be surprised if the general election comes down to two Democrats.

[JohnSJ]

25. I agree

[Mz Pip]

44. We did last time

Feinstein and Leon were both Democrats.

[Cha]

13. Wow.. endless primary. I saw

that "Jungle primary" noted but I just thought it meant it would be hard fought.. which I'm guessing it will be!

I love California.. I lived in North County San Diego for 15 years. Sending Healing Wishes from all the Disastrous Flood Damage.

I'm hoping Adam Schiff announces his candidacy at an Excellent time.

[JohnSJ]

19. Thanks Cha. I didn't realize you were a Californian. Bravo!!!

[Cha]

27. Yeah, I've lived all over this

Country.. California was one of the longest.. my daughter was born at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla.💙

[JohnSJ]

31. +++

[mnhtnbb]

33. I worked at Scripps Hospital for 3 summers

after graduating La Jolla High in 1969, and home for the summer from UCLA summers of 1970 and 1971.
I floated all over the hospital, replacing nursing unit clerks who were taking vacation days. I only worked Labor and Delivery a few times, though, mostly on Med/Surg floors and occasionally the ER. It was a great summer job.

[Cha]

35. Small world! My daughter graduated

from La Jolla High in 1986 and son in 1985.

Good memories for you!

[mnhtnbb]

37. Yes, indeed.

My class had it's 50 year reunion in 2019, although I didn't go. But I am still in touch with some of my classmates. I only went to LJHS for 2 years because we moved from NJ when I was in high school.

[Cha]

38. Did you like it in La Jolla? It's a beautiful

part of the world.. I was living there when you went to High School.

That's where my son learned to surf.

[mnhtnbb]

39. I didn't actually live in La Jolla.

I was in another school district --which wasn't considered as 'good'. My mother had taught school during the Great Depression with the woman who was the Girls Vice Principal at LJHS and they arranged an inter district transfer for both my brother and me from our assigned district high school in Encinitas to LJHS. The transfer enabled us to take AP classes which weren't available at Encinitas at the time.

I couldn't wait to leave home and go to college. I really enjoyed UCLA.

[Cha]

40. Ah.. Glad you enjoyed UCLA! I lived

in Encinitas, too for awhile much later.. not a bad spot. I loved it there, too. Swami's beach!

[mnhtnbb]

42. I got caught in a rip current at Moonlight State Beach

when I was 16. I had taken a friend who was visiting from NJ and I stayed in the water when he decided to get out. All of a sudden I was caught where the waves kept breaking on me. I finally realized why and swam parallel to the shore to get out of it. But it scared the crap out of me. I thought I was going to drown. After that experience, I spent very little time at the beach in the ocean until the mid '80's when I met the guy who would become my second husband. He had a sail boat and liked to Scuba dive, so I got my PADI open water certification.

Never did learn to surf.

[Cha]

43. That is Scary! Glad you

lived to tell about it!

I was a Boogie Boader at Swami's.. So Much Fun!

[mnhtnbb]

48. Those were the days!

[Sympthsical]

8. She would take office at 78 years old

I very much like Barbara Lee, but I feel like that ship has sailed.

It's time to turn things over to the next generations.

Yeah, yeah, ageism, etc. It's how I feel, though.

[Mz Pip]

46. I agree

She’s my Congresswoman, but I think it’s too late. I’ll support Katie.

Also, not sure how well Lee will play in the rest of the state.

[tritsofme]

10. Time for the next generation to take the reins.

I think someone like Porter or Schiff are much better suited.

But it will be interesting to see all the House vacancies with everyone and their mother seeming to jump in this Senate race.

[people]

14. Barbara Lee and Katie Porter

These are both wonderful representatives. Barbara Lee was the only house member to vote against the Afghanistan War authorization. She is extremely principled and brave. So is Katie Porter. Hard choice for those of us in CA.

[ZonkerHarris]

18. Not really. I love Barbara but she is 76. Katie is 49. New young blood is needed right now

I want Katie to get in now and build up seniority and power in the Senate for the next 25 years

[beaglelover]

22. Christ, another reason to absolutely vote for Katie over Barbara.

[ZonkerHarris]

26. I don't measn this as agism but rather a tactical path to power for Democrats.

[beaglelover]

21. I'm voting for Katie in any upcoming primary for CA Senate. Period. End of story.

[Emile]

28. Katie is going to be a great senator and make California proud!

[jalan48]

32. Three great candidates.

[librechik]

34. Wow, you guys are blessed (or cursed) with a very deep bench.

congrats!

[RandySF]

49. 30+ years waiting for this seat to open.

[JI7]

36. There will be a lot of people running for this seat

[Hortensis]

41. Yes. Some of them very impressive. Fwiw, the senate

is not exactly the place where youthful vigor is most needed or rewarded. It's a very slow, deliberative body meant to be a stabilizing force, and many energetic, iconoclastic politicians don't see it as nearly as promising a way for them to make a significant difference as others.

Remembering that in 2020, we had a shortage of good, electable people willing to run for "gettable" senate seats. Some of our most promising, well known politicians with impressive experience -- and choices -- said no. The senate wasn't for people capable of or drawn to handling the immense pressure-cooker challenges of running a whole state, for instance. Or of becoming majority leader in their state senate -- now, not decades down the road.

[pinkstarburst]

45. Barbara Lee is lovely

but if she won, she would be 78 when she took office. Ideally it would be better to replace Feinstein with someone who is younger like Katie Porter or Adam Schiff, NOT because of ageism but because of the benefit of them staying in the position for decades and moving up in seniority on committees.