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☆ Why California Democrats Aren’t Voting for Rep. Barbara Lee - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Charles M. Blow | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

“The perspective, the lens, the representation, the experience of a Black woman from California is badly needed.”That’s what Representative Barbara Lee — a California Democrat vying for the Senate seat held for three decades by Dianne Feinstein — told a television reporter last month about why people should vote for her in the race. On Sunday, before a rally that evening outside a production studio in Los Angeles owned by the former N.B.A. all-star Baron Davis, I asked Lee what she meant by that, since Black people are only about 7 percent of the population of the state. She replied in a way that was both shrewd and true to her career in politics: “I’ve taken everything I know about what it means to be Black in America or brown in America or low-income in America or a woman in America and tried to turn it into policies.”

Persons: Barbara Lee —, Dianne Feinstein —, Baron Davis, Lee, “, ” Locations: California, Los Angeles, America

☆ Laphonza Butler Will Not Run for Senate in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Shawn Hubler | More About Shawn Hubler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Laphonza Butler, who was appointed 18 days ago to fill the Senate seat left vacant by Dianne Feinstein’s death, said on Thursday that she would not run for the office next year, clearing the way for a truly open race in California that features three Democratic congressional members and a former Major League Baseball star. In an interview with The New York Times, Senator Butler said that she intended to be “the loudest, proudest champion of California” in the 383 days remaining in her term in office, but that she had realized “this is not the greatest use of my voice.”Ms. Butler has never been elected to office and was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom less than three weeks ago, helping him to fulfill his promise to name a Black woman to complete Senator Feinstein’s term. Even without Ms. Butler in the running, Californians will have a wealth of candidates to choose from. Three high-profile Democratic members of Congress — Representatives Katie Porter, Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee — had been campaigning for months when Senator Feinstein died at 90 in late September.

Persons: Laphonza Butler, Dianne Feinstein’s, Butler, Ms, Gavin Newsom, Feinstein’s, Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee —, Feinstein Organizations: Democratic, Major League Baseball, The New York Times, Gov Locations: California

Butler, a Democratic insider and former labor leader, had never held public office before joining the Senate. Under California election rules, the two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the November general election, regardless of party. But to Democratic consultant Garry South, who has run six statewide campaigns in California, including for former Gov. Then, on the campaign side, Butler could talk about Democratic legislative wins and building on Feinstein’s legacy. National Democratic fundraising could pose a challenge in 2024, since the California Senate seat is expected to stay in Democratic hands when control of the chamber will be decided elsewhere.

Persons: Sen, Dianne Feinstein, Laphonza Butler, Gavin Newsom, Butler, Feinstein, Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee —, Steve Garvey, coy, she’s, I’m, ”, “ It's, Schiff, Nancy Pelosi, Newsom, “, Rebecca Pearcey, Elizabeth Warren’s, “ It’s, Garry South, Gray Davis, ’, ” Newsom, Kamala Harris ’, Newsom’s, Lee, ” Schiff, Porter, Pearcey, ” Pearcey, Washington gridlock, Butler “, she'll Organizations: ANGELES, Democratic, Senate, Democratic House, Associated Press, ., Gov, Airbnb, Capitol, Democratic Party, National Democratic, California Senate Locations: U.S, California, Washington, Laguna Niguel, Los Angeles

☆ California's new senator says Kamala Harris's detractors need to 'cut the bullshit' and are being 'disrespectful'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

California Sen. Laphonza Butler is defending Vice President Kamala Harris. Butler says Harris's detractors need to "cut the bullshit" and are being "disrespectful." AdvertisementAdvertisementIt remains unclear how long Laphonza Butler will be serving in the Senate, but one thing is clear: She's a staunch defender of Vice President Kamala Harris. In an interview with the New York Times before being appointed as California's new US senator, Butler said that detractors of Harris need to "cut the bullshit." Harris has long been dogged by criticism of her tenure as vice president, and she's argued that she's faced more media scrutiny than prior vice presidents.

Persons: California Sen, Laphonza Butler, Kamala Harris, Butler, Harris, —, Sen, Dianne Feinstein, Gavin Newsom, Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, Barbara Lee —, I've, she's, Joe Biden, Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Biden's, Jamie Raskin Organizations: Service, New York Times, Democratic, CNN Locations: California

☆ Progressives are pressing California Gov. Gavin Newsom to reverse his earlier vow to tap a Senate caretaker and instead appoint Barbara Lee to succeed Dianne Feinstein
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Progressives want Gavin Newsom to tap Rep. Barbara Lee to succeed Dianne Feinstein in the Senate. But such a move would reverse Newsom's earlier pledge to appoint a caretaker to the seat. "When Newsom appointed Padilla for VP seat he didn't appoint a caretaker," Khanna wrote. "She would be most prepared to step in and carry forth the work Senator Feinstein has worked on for so many decades," she told the newspaper. Lee said earlier in September that she was "troubled" by Newsom's thinking on what was then a hypothetical Senate appointment.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Barbara Lee, Dianne Feinstein, Lee, Feinstein, Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, —, Dianne Feinstein's, Newsom, Barbara Lee —, who's, Ro Khanna, Sen, Alex Padilla, Padilla, Kamala Harris, Khanna, Newsom's, Aprill Turner, Turner, Anish Mohanty, didn't Organizations: Service, San Francisco, Golden State, Oakland, Lee's Senate, Senate, America PAC, Heights, Washington Post, Democratic Party Locations: California, San, Golden

☆ Pelosi's daughter is Dianne Feinstein's primary caregiver at the Capitol, but the former speaker denies using the relationship to help her protégé replace the aging senator
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Since Dianne Feinstein returned to office in May, Nancy Pelosi's daughter has been alongside her. A recent report from Politico suggested Pelosi could be using her daughter to keep Feinstein from retiring, possibly helping Rep. Adam Schiff's chances of replacing her. Pelosi's office denied any political motives for aiding Feinstein. Feinstein, 89, missed several months of votes in the Senate due to her diagnosis in February before returning in May. And earlier this week, Feinstein denied ever missing time away from the Senate due to shingles.

☆ Dianne Feinstein claimed she hasn't 'been gone' when asked about her lengthy absence from the Senate: 'No, I've been here. I've been voting'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Feinstein insisted to reporters on Tuesday that she hasn't been absent from the Senate. I've been voting," she told LA Times' Ben Oreskes at the Capitol on Tuesday. The 89-year-old senator returned to Washington last week after a nearly 3-month-long absence. "No, I haven't been gone," she told the Times' Ben Oreskes on Tuesday when asked how her Senate colleagues have responded to her return. Feinstein then reportedly deflected a question about lawmakers calling for her to resign before an aide wheeled her away.

But add a candidate representing the Bernie Sanders wing of the party, Ro Khanna, and a living legend who got her start with the Black Panthers and would become the only Black woman in the Senate, Barbara Lee — now you're talking about a California Senate race for the ages. Reaching voters isn’t easy in California, with a population approaching 40 million and a land mass bigger than that of many countries. But the race will affect the future of the Democratic Party, both in California and beyond. “An appointment would be a way to make sure that this country has the essential voice of a Black woman,” Allison said. And I don’t see and I don’t understand why it isn’t happening.”Meanwhile, as Lee watches Feinstein, Bernieworld is watching Lee.

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