Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), a political giant and iconic trailblazer for women in politics, died Thursday night, leaving vacant a safe Democratic seat.
I wouldn’t mind Garvey squeaking in as a general election candidate just for the pleasure of seeing him trounced and humiliated while being rejected by the vast majority of the state’s voters. He’s surely deserving of the drubbing.
Lee is trying to play hardball with Newsom over the appointment, but nothing in the polling indicates that Lee, at 77, would otherwise win the primary – she might not be able to hold the seat even as the “incumbent.” She is my rep in Congress, I’d like to see her drop out of the primary race and take the seat. It would be the biggest platform she has ever had.
She should but with age comes stubbornness…
Newsom really should take a deep breath and appoint the individual best capable of serving the state of California & the nation.
Seriously - this is politics - random stuff happens - opportunities spontaneously emerge & attempts to elaborately orchestrate equitable “contests” by appointing a “place holder” often yields little positive & occasionally just squanders opportunity (and an even sometimes just be a blunder)
I just can’t believe that California might replace a nonagenarian (who was gaga at the end) with an octogenarian. But then, this article reminds us that this is the state with the supreme stupidity of jungle primaries.
The question I have is: what will it do to turn out? Will the Democrats stay home, knowing that both the presidential and Senate elections are in the bag or will the Republicans stay home lacking anyone to vote for at the top of the ticket? This could matter for a few competitive House seats in California.
You too will likely be gaga at the end, so cool it with disrespecting the newly dead, highly respected politician from the state I live in.
@woland66 This Democrat from CA has never not voted, no matter what or who is on the ballot. It’s my obligation as a woman to vote, our foremothers died in order for us to obtain the right to vote.
this article would have been much more useful if it had named maybe 1 or 2 possible names who fit Newsom’s criteria. Instead you just told us who is currently running and therefore, per Newsom, will not be appointed.
One person mentioned that Lee could get the nod if she dropped out of the senate race next year. OK, so if she doesn’ t who are we looking at?
I keep hearing that Gov Newsom is looking at Rep. Maxine Waters, who certainly deserves the limelight. It would be a great capstone for her long, pugnacious career as an advocate for CA and for black and brown people everywhere.
The more big name Dems in the primary makes it more likely there will be a Dem and Rep in the general. California is solidly Democratic, but having two Democrats in the general is pretty rare-- even though people talk about it all the time.
Newsom has a history of pretty dumb appointments. He doesn’t want to upstage himself.
Agreed. Sen. Feinstein had quite an interesting and full life, and served the people of San Franciso and California with honor and distinction.
He could appoint Nancy to the seat, then she wouldn’t have to sit in the same room as the odious likes of Gaetz and Greene and Issa and Jordan et al.
If Newsome had not considered who he might need to replace Feinstein, who was ninety, showing signs of dementia and out of commission for months, then he would be an idiot.
I’ve met Newsome and he is no idiot.
having two Democrats in the general is pretty rare
Gee, that hasn’t happened since 2016, when Kamala Harris ran against Loretta Sanchez. (Kamala won with a 23% margin.) Oh, wait, it was actually since 2018, when Feinstein defeated Kevin de Leon.
Dam’ right, sonny!
With 3 dems, maybe a repub gets in… if only one repub runs…
If Lee dropped(and then appointed to this seat) it will surely be Schiff v Porter in November.
It has happened in 2 of the 3 US Senate elections to take place since the rules changed to allow such a situation to come up. So it is actually rarer to have a Republican in the general than it is to have two Dems face off.
Coz we don’t want no stinking traitor racist coward asshole republicans representing us in Congress.
Coz they don’t.
My first memory of Barbara Feinstein was of her announcing the assignations of Supervisor Harvey Milk, and the SF Mayor George Moscone. She was a force, was Diane Feinstein.
To quote the Grateful Dead,
“What a long strange trip it’s been.”
(edited in response to a comment.)