As we continue towards the 2024 election, the race for the U.S. Senate seat expected to be vacated by longtime California Senator Dianne Feinstein has continued to heat up, as another top Democrat will reportedly announce that they are entering the fray by the end of the month.
Representative Barbara Lee is expected to announce that she will be joining Reps. Adam Schiff and Katie Porter in the race for the seat, a high-profile position considering the current holder of the seat. Feinstein has not formally announced that she will retire, but the 89-year-old, who has held the seat for decades, is widely expected to give it up at the conclusion of her current term.
The Washington Post, which first reported that she will be announcing her candidacy, reports that she expected to coincide her announcement with Black History Month, which goes through the month of February. In a statement to the Post, she discussed the absence of a voice for Black Americans in the Senate, saying that they are “sorely missed”
“My lived experience as a Black woman making true progressive change for Californians will give a voice in the U.S. to those who are currently voiceless,” Lee continued.
The race for the seat is likely to be highly competitive, with not only Lee, Schiff, and Porter joining in, but also Democrat Ro Khanna, who is anticipated to be entering the race. Nancy Pelosi weighed in on the situation, endorsing Schiff above the other Democrats, giving him an early boost to his candidacy.