General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWho best to fill Dianne Feinstein's Senate Seat?
Who do DUers think makes for the strongest candidate?Barbara Lee just announced, third along with Katie Porter and Adam Schiff, so far.
Feinstein, 89, has been in the public eye for more than a half-century, notably since she became San Franciscos leader after the 1978 assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. In recent years, she has faced mounting questions about her mental acuity and her old-school brand of bipartisanship that is viewed as outdated in todays bitterly divided era. These factors led Democrats to leap into the race to replace her before she announced her intentions a move that would previously have been considered impolitic.
Rep. Katie Porter, 49, Democrat
Resume:
The Iowa native is an attorney and a protégé of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, whom Porter met while taking Warrens bankruptcy law class at Harvard Law School. In 2011, Porter moved to California when she became a law professor at UC Irvine. The following year, then-California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris appointed Porter to be the states independent monitor overseeing the states share of a $25-billion mortgage settlement with banks.
Rep. Adam B. Schiff, 62, Democrat
Resume:
Schiff was born in Massachusetts and moved with his family to Arizona and then California. He was the valedictorian of his 1978 graduating class at Monte Vista High School in Danville high school, where his classmates voted him most likely to succeed. After attending Stanford University and Harvard Law School, Schiff became a federal prosecutor. Among his most prominent cases was prosecuting an FBI agent who became a Russian spy.
Rep. Barbara Lee, 76, Democrat
Resume:
Lee has a deep history of political activism, dating back to when she was a college student at Mills College. She worked on the 1972 presidential campaign of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to hold a seat in Congress, and on Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seales mayoral race in Oakland the following year.
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-02-14/california-senate-candidates-feinstein-porter-schiff-lee-khanna
Others are named in the article, and there's more in that article more about each of the three listed above.
montanacowboy
(6,268 posts)hands down - she knows her stuff, is smart as a whip, and totally progressive and much younger than the others.
CoopersDad
(2,805 posts)...I have to agree.
jimfields33
(18,420 posts)Voltaire2
(14,626 posts)Bayard
(24,018 posts)But I've got to go with Schiff. He's pretty amazing.
tinrobot
(11,444 posts)Experience as a prosecutor, chair of the intelligence committee, plus his roles on impeachment and the Jan 6th commission, among others.
FakeNoose
(35,306 posts)He'd make an awesome Senator. So would Ms. Porter but we need her in the House right now.
If I lived in California I'd vote for Adam Schiff.
Auggie
(31,758 posts)Huge points in my book.
It'll be a tough decision.
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)I can understand Iraq, but we were attacked by a terrorist organization that was given protection and support by the undemocratic government of Afghanistan. I had no objection to sending in troops.
Response to CoopersDad (Original post)
Chin music This message was self-deleted by its author.
iemanja
(54,542 posts)I'd support Schiff.
Raven123
(5,911 posts)jmbar2
(5,970 posts)They are all stellar. Hope they don't tear at each other.
mvd
(65,393 posts)have to think about her seat being in danger. I still would vote Porter but would be very happy with the others.
maxsolomon
(34,929 posts)I admire Schiff to no end, but Porter has lower mileage at 49. Could serve 6 terms.
Regardless, it's not my decision. Not in CA.
Response to maxsolomon (Reply #13)
Chin music This message was self-deleted by its author.
WarGamer
(14,926 posts)I'm leaning Porter, we don't need two men representing Ca in the Senate.
I'm also fine with Lee...
milestogo
(17,309 posts)Cha
(304,419 posts)Celerity
(46,154 posts)Prairie_Seagull
(3,691 posts)Last edited Sat Feb 18, 2023, 09:59 AM - Edit history (1)
Katie Porter and her white boards.
deRien
(202 posts)in their 40's would go for Porter whereas I would go for Schiff. Wonder if this is a generational thing?
mcar
(43,366 posts)highly accomplished, safe D district. He'll be a great senator.
Emile
(28,678 posts)I would prefer someone young enough who could be in the Senate for many years.
We can"t afford to lose Katie. That said my vote would be Katie Porter for the senate.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)of achievement. I'd vote for either, but Lee's con of perhaps being "too liberal" could turn out to be a grave problem.
As said, senate candidates have to appeal to whole states, which is why our senate caucus is far more solidly moderate liberal than the more diverse house. At this point I expect Schiff to win and am glad we have him.
I was really struck, btw, by author Seema Mehta's choices for Katie Porter's cons -- that she has to do some extra fundraising (something she's good at) and that she announced her candidacy during a passing crisis. One's a real but handleable problem of a type all candidates face and the other's a real nothingburger. She mentioned issues related to ideology and past records for the others.
Porter's cons of course include that she's not yet even close to being the same kind of can-do heavy hitter as Schiff and Lee. She still has to find her feet in the house. She's very talented at causing some to believe in her personally, but she's not a significant force for change in congress. Not yet.
Another con will be similar to Lee's -- she'll be hit as "far left." She already is and barely held onto her seat. And possibly her association with some among the illiberal left who have unsavory records of attacks on Democrats will be used to smear her. Ms. Mehta might have mentioned this since, though the Republicans will undoubtedly go after ALL our candidates as radical socialists etc, she and Barbara Lee will be especially vulnerable.
CoopersDad
(2,805 posts)Thanks!
Duppers
(28,223 posts)That's my main concern.
We must not let any repub
Duppers
(28,223 posts)That's my main concern.
We must not let any Repubs gain ANY seats anywhere.
tritsofme
(18,151 posts)DFW
(56,326 posts)I'll just say that Adam Schiff would be my obvious choice, and leave it at that.
Bucky
(55,334 posts)I just hope the race doesn't evolve into something that would discourage supporters from voting in the fall
Not Heidi
(1,431 posts)JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,729 posts)... to run in the Senate primary?
Risky business.
Anyway, I plan to contribute to the Schiff campaign. As of now.
Mordred
(167 posts)in California.
Johonny
(21,848 posts)Going to be a good race for once.
Polybius
(17,279 posts)Response to CoopersDad (Original post)
ananda This message was self-deleted by its author.
Emile
(28,678 posts)in a safe seat. We can"t afford losing Katie and that's why I fully support her over Schiff and Barbara Lee.
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)Will serve 1-2 terms and won't develop any seniority or influence.
Deep State Witch
(11,156 posts)Rep. Lee is 76. While she's still sharp, I would like to see it go to someone younger. That's not to say that she doesn't deserve it. However, time for a new generation to take over.
CoopersDad
(2,805 posts)We need young people more than ever.
https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-oldest-history-gerontocracy-lawmakers-2022-9
womanofthehills
(9,175 posts)We need to go with the younger super bright ones who are the future of the party.
RANDYWILDMAN
(2,853 posts)She is awesome !
Response to CoopersDad (Original post)
Not Heidi This message was self-deleted by its author.