Porter Announces 2024 Senate Bid, Raising Questions About Feinstein’s Future
Feinstein #Feinstein
Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) launched a Senate campaign on Tuesday, inadvertently announcing she might be eyeing Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat.
“California needs a warrior in Washington and that’s exactly why I’m announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate in 2024,” Porter said in her announcement video.
“The threat from so-called leaders like Mitch McConnell has too often made the United States Senate the place where rights get revoked, special interests get rewarded and our democracy gets rigged. As Californians we’ve proven we won’t just sit by and let these things happen. You always do your part and I will continue to do mine,” she added.
The two sitting senators from California, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) and Sen. Alex Padilla (D), have not made any official or public announcements saying they plan to vacate their seats.
Many are expecting Feinstein to step down after completing her term. But Porter’s bid comes before an official announcement from the longtime senator on whether she’ll seek another term.
Last year, Feinstein filed initial paperwork to run for reelection in 2024 but she has not explicitly said she will seek another term.
The 89-year-old, who has fought for gun control, civil rights, and abortion access for half a century, has recently come under questioning for her alleged declining cognitive health, according to the Cut. Last year, she was the subject of reporting in both her hometown newspaper the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Times.