Who best to fill Dianne Feinstein's Senate Seat?

[CoopersDad]

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 Francisco’s 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she has faced mounting questions about her mental acuity and her old-school brand of bipartisanship that is viewed as outdated in today’s bitterly divided era.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 Warren’s 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 state’s independent monitor overseeing the state’s 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 Seale’s 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]

1. Katie Porter

hands down - she knows her stuff, is smart as a whip, and totally progressive and much younger than the others.

[CoopersDad]

7. Given her age and the time she has to become even sharper...

...I have to agree.

[jimfields33]

10. I agree. I wish I could vote for her. Maybe for president someday.

[Voltaire2]

28. yup.

[Bayard]

2. I really admire these two women

But I've got to go with Schiff. He's pretty amazing.

[tinrobot]

3. Going with Schiff - deepest resume.

Experience as a prosecutor, chair of the intelligence committee, plus his roles on impeachment and the Jan 6th commission, among others.

[FakeNoose]

12. Yes I think so

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]

4. Lee voted against war in Afghanistan. That took incredible courage.

Huge points in my book.

It'll be a tough decision.

[brooklynite]

37. Why was Afghanistan the "right" vote?

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.

[iemanja]

6. If I lived in CA

I'd support Schiff.

[Raven123]

8. How fortunate to have so many excellent candidates.

[jmbar2]

9. I hate to see them pitted against each other

They are all stellar. Hope they don't tear at each other.

[mvd]

11. I like all 3. Favorite would probably be Porter, but..

have to think about her seat being in danger. I still would vote Porter but would be very happy with the others.

[maxsolomon]

13. Katie Lee-Schiff

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.

[WarGamer]

14. Whoever the people of California decide...

I'm leaning Porter, we don't need two men representing Ca in the Senate.

I'm also fine with Lee...

[milestogo]

16. Adam Schiff

[Cha]

17. Adam Schiff!

[Celerity]

18. I have not yet decided, not even close to doing so.

[Prairie_Seagull]

19. Almost embarrassing wealth of riches.

Last edited Sat Feb 18, 2023, 09:59 AM - Edit history (1)

Katie Porter and her white boards.

[deRien]

20. My adult children

in their 40's would go for Porter whereas I would go for Schiff. Wonder if this is a generational thing?

[mcar]

21. Schiff

highly accomplished, safe D district. He'll be a great senator.

[Emile]

22. Katie Porter, she is not in a safe seat and Schiff is.

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]

23. Schiff and Lee are very redoubtable achievers with very real records

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]

33. Very good points.

Thanks!

[Duppers]

24. Who's seat would be most vulnerable if they left?

That's my main concern.

We must not let any repub

[Duppers]

25. Who's seat would be most vulnerable if they left?

That's my main concern.

We must not let any Repubs gain ANY seats anywhere.

[tritsofme]

27. Porter, not even close.

[DFW]

26. I don't live in California, and won't dwell on what for me are some very obvious negatives, so....

I'll just say that Adam Schiff would be my obvious choice, and leave it at that.

[Bucky]

29. I'm not Californianj, any one of them would be acceptable...

I just hope the race doesn't evolve into something that would discourage supporters from voting in the fall

[Not Heidi]

44. Hear, hear. n/t

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

30. Do all three need to give up their House reelection campaign ...

... to run in the Senate primary?

Risky business.

Anyway, I plan to contribute to the Schiff campaign. As of now.

[Mordred]

32. You cannot run for 2 offices simultaneously

in California.

[Johonny]

31. All pretty good choices

Going to be a good race for once.

[Polybius]

34. Katie Hill

[Emile]

36. Schiff and Lee are in safe house seats, Katie is not

in a safe seat. We can"t afford losing Katie and that's why I fully support her over Schiff and Barbara Lee.

[brooklynite]

38. Lee is too old...

Will serve 1-2 terms and won't develop any seniority or influence.

[Deep State Witch]

39. I know that this sounds ageist, but

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]

40. Our congress average age is very old, older than ever.

We need young people more than ever.

https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-oldest-history-gerontocracy-lawmakers-2022-9

[womanofthehills]

41. Definitely Katie Porter

We need to go with the younger super bright ones who are the future of the party.

[RANDYWILDMAN]

42. Porter but I think Schiff wins the seat

She is awesome !