Adam Schiff Running For Feinstein’s Senate Seat—Adding To Crowded Field Of Potential Progressive Challengers

Topline

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) announced Thursday he will run for Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat, pending her retirement, joining what is expected to be a crowded field of Democratic candidates competing in the primary race in 2024.

Key Facts

Schiff, who was widely expected to run for the seat, cited the “fight for democracy” and the need to prevent Americans from looking for “alternatives, like a dangerous demagogue who promises he alone can fix it,” he said in a statement announcing his run.

Schiff, 62, who represents the 30th district encompassing portions of northwest Los Angeles and Pasadena and was first elected in 2000, gained national recognition during the previous session of Congress when he served on the January 6 select committee to investigate the Capitol riots and led the first impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.

Progressive Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), who represents the 47th District covering parts of Orange County, was the first Democrat to officially declare her entrance into the race earlier this month.

Progressive Reps. Ro Khanna, who has represented Silicon Valley since 2017, and Barbara Lee, a 25-year veteran of Congress who represents the Oakland area, are also considering jumping into the race, but haven’t formally entered the fray.

Key Background

Feinstein, who at 89 is the oldest member of Congress, has not publicly commented on her plans, but many observers expect her to retire at the end of her term after 31 years serving as one of California’s two senators. A spokesperson recently told the Los Angeles Times she would not step down early. Her seat is considered safely blue, but Democrats’ 51-49 majority in the upper chamber could be threatened by a tough map in 2024 in which 23 of the 34 seats up for re-election are held by Democrats, with three in states former President Donald Trump won and five more in states Biden won by 10 points or less.

Tangent

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday denied Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) seats on the House Intelligence Committee. McCarthy said the move was retribution for their “misuse” of the committee’s powers while serving on the panel over the past two years, but it is widely considered retaliation for the House’s decision to eject Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) from committees, along with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)’s refusal to allow members who promoted Trump’s false election fraud claims to sit on the January 6 committee that probed the Capitol riot. Schiff called McCarthy’s decision a “terrible move” that caters “to the most extreme elements of this conference.”

Further Reading

Rep. Katie Porter Will Run For California Senate Seat—As Questions Loom Over Feinstein’s Future (Forbes)

Lawmakers Say Dianne Feinstein’s Mental Fitness Rapidly Worsening, Report Claims (Forbes)

McCarthy Blocks Schiff And Swalwell From Taking Intel Committee Seats (Forbes)