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Saviolo

(3,282 posts)
Thu Oct 12, 2017, 03:37 PM Oct 2017

Sources say California Senate leader to challenge Sen. Dianne Feinstein in Democratic primary

Source: CNN

De León has begun calling labor leaders and elected officials to inform them of his plans, the sources said, and is expected to soon announce his campaign against Feinstein, a giant of California Democratic politics who has held the office since 1992.

The 50-year-old de León, who represents Los Angeles and is seen as a leading Latino voice in Democratic politics, is likely to campaign aggressively against President Donald Trump. He began signaling he could oppose Feinstein in late August, after she said Trump could "be a good president" and that he "can learn and change." Feinstein later clarified that she is "under no illusion that it's likely to happen and will continue to oppose his policies."

He will enter the race after a state legislative session in which California lawmakers pushed legislation targeted at Trump -- making California a "sanctuary state," sought to force Trump to release his tax returns by making it a requirement to appear on the state's ballots as a presidential candidate, and passed a resolution urging Trump "to publicly apologize to all Americans for his racist and bigoted behavior."

He likely won't be the only Feinstein challenger. Tom Steyer, the billionaire environmentalist and single largest Democratic donor, is "very much looking at the Senate race," a source close to him said. Steyer, who is in Washington this week, issued a letter Wednesday challenging Democratic candidates to call for Trump's impeachment.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/12/politics/kevin-de-leon-dianne-feinstein-tom-steyer-california-democratic-primary/index.html

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Sources say California Senate leader to challenge Sen. Dianne Feinstein in Democratic primary (Original Post) Saviolo Oct 2017 OP
Excellent, we need new blood in the Senate. denbot Oct 2017 #1
I hope he doesn't "go low". My prediction? Feinstein in a walk over. George II Oct 2017 #2
I wonder where your concern springs from? denbot Oct 2017 #6
Glad to hear it. zentrum Oct 2017 #3
Post removed Post removed Oct 2017 #4
Juvenile name-calling is...juvenile brooklynite Oct 2017 #5
Good n/t hibbing Oct 2017 #7
Good for him.. disillusioned73 Oct 2017 #8
Steyer was on MSNBC last night. BigmanPigman Oct 2017 #9
Neither will get my vote, I'll be voting for Feinstein. iluvtennis Oct 2017 #10
Second verse, same as the first displacedtexan Oct 2017 #11
Love it. BlueJac Oct 2017 #12
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... Plucketeer Oct 2017 #13
good news let DiFi defend record and offer her vision for the resistance. nt msongs Oct 2017 #14
Glad that there are multiple viable challengers. They will split any vote stevenleser Oct 2017 #15
California does a jungle primary right? madville Oct 2017 #16
That would be suicide. Hopefully no Democrat would do that. TrollBuster9090 Oct 2017 #18
Our "jungle primary/blanket primary" means the top two candidates... MoonchildCA Oct 2017 #19
Correct. In fact, that's what happened in 2016. Jim Lane Oct 2017 #20
Personally, I think Xavier Becerra would be better. TrollBuster9090 Oct 2017 #17

denbot

(9,901 posts)
1. Excellent, we need new blood in the Senate.
Thu Oct 12, 2017, 03:39 PM
Oct 2017

He will push back rather then get along with Trump, and the GOP.

denbot

(9,901 posts)
6. I wonder where your concern springs from?
Thu Oct 12, 2017, 04:19 PM
Oct 2017

The other possible challenger didn't garner such thoughts, but a Brown guy named De León does.

Response to Saviolo (Original post)

BigmanPigman

(51,623 posts)
9. Steyer was on MSNBC last night.
Thu Oct 12, 2017, 04:28 PM
Oct 2017

He didn't push this idea during the interview at all. I would like to know more about his "platform". De Leon has a public record of his stand on issues as well as his achievements. I could be convinced to vote for someone other than Feinstein. I am not too impressed with her since 45 became the fake prez.

displacedtexan

(15,696 posts)
11. Second verse, same as the first
Thu Oct 12, 2017, 04:42 PM
Oct 2017

If you've never seen CA ballots, you should see how many challengers there are in most races. It all shakes out, and the lesser knowns eat ech other.

Edited to add excerpt:

The 34th Congressional District of California held a special election for the U.S. House of Representatives on June 6, 2017. Democrat Jimmy Gomez defeated Democrat Robert Lee Ahn in the general election.
The election replaced Xavier Becerra (D), who was appointed as California's attorney general.[5] Democrats Jimmy Gomez and Robert Lee Ahn were the top two vote-getters in a primary field of 23 candidates and advanced to the general election. Gomez and Ahn competed in the runoff election on June 6, 2017, when Gomez defeated Ahn by more than 20 percent, 60.1 percent to 30.9 percent.[6] The previous two elections in the district have also featured a general election contest between two Democrats.

 

Plucketeer

(12,882 posts)
13. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....
Thu Oct 12, 2017, 05:28 PM
Oct 2017

Proving that even with all the smoke from the wildfires, you can still find a breath of fresh air in California!

 

stevenleser

(32,886 posts)
15. Glad that there are multiple viable challengers. They will split any vote
Thu Oct 12, 2017, 05:41 PM
Oct 2017

For folks who aren’t voting for Feinstein.

madville

(7,412 posts)
16. California does a jungle primary right?
Thu Oct 12, 2017, 05:49 PM
Oct 2017

So she could possibly be facing one of these other Democrats in the general election?

TrollBuster9090

(5,955 posts)
18. That would be suicide. Hopefully no Democrat would do that.
Thu Oct 12, 2017, 06:36 PM
Oct 2017

I don't want Carly Fiorina taking any trips to Washington with a tape measure to see how many lobbyists she can fit into the California junior Senator's office.

MoonchildCA

(1,301 posts)
19. Our "jungle primary/blanket primary" means the top two candidates...
Fri Oct 13, 2017, 12:30 AM
Oct 2017

...regardless of party, will face off in the general. It is likely that we'll have two democrats face off against each other. There will be no hope for Carly, or any other Republican, in theory, at least.

 

Jim Lane

(11,175 posts)
20. Correct. In fact, that's what happened in 2016.
Fri Oct 13, 2017, 06:44 AM
Oct 2017

The only two candidates in the general election (also called the runoff) were two Democrats, Kamala Harris and Loretta Sanchez.

The jungle primary has advantages and disadvantages. This is a situation where it could be advantageous. If there were a Democratic primary, with several progressive challengers splitting 60% of the vote, Feinstein with a 40% plurality could win the nomination and face the Republican in the general election. With the jungle primary, it could be that the Republicans again fail to do even as well as second place. The general election would then be between Feinstein and one progressive challenger, who might be able to unite all the Californians to her left.

TrollBuster9090

(5,955 posts)
17. Personally, I think Xavier Becerra would be better.
Thu Oct 12, 2017, 06:34 PM
Oct 2017

But I guess he's not interested in challenging Feinstein?

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