Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), who barely won her election last November, has announced her intention to run for Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s senate seat — despite the fact that the 89-year-old senator has yet to announce whether or not she’s resigning.
“California needs a warrior in the Senate—to stand up to special interests, fight the dangerous imbalance in our economy, and hold so-called leaders like Mitch McConnell accountable for rigging our democracy,” Porter announced via Twitter on Tuesday. “Today, I’m proud to announce my candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2024.”
Earlier this month, a former Porter staffer went public with charges that Porter had made racist comments to her staff and that she “ridiculed people after they had reported sexual harassment in her office” and even “made fun of individuals whose parents passed away from COVID.” Anonymous former Porter staffers also leaked screenshots of texts detailing Porter’s abusive behavior.
Porter likely figures, between her barely winning in November and the allegations that have surfaced since, that her chances of winning a statewide election in California would be better than winning in a district she barely won by a mere 3.4 points and is trying to get a jump on campaigning against what will likely be a large field of candidates looking to replace Feinstein. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) has also expressed interest in running for the seat, as has Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Russiagate)
Feinstein, however, still won’t say what her plans are.
“Everyone is of course welcome to throw their hat in the ring, and I will make an announcement concerning my plans for 2024 at the appropriate time,” she said in a statement Tuesday.
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