Senate candidates seek Democrats' favor amid a convention disrupted by chants
California's Democratic U.S. Senate candidates tried to out-progressive each other during the state party convention on Saturday in search of a formal endorsement ahead of the March primary.
U.S. Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, as well as former tech executive Lexi Reese all pleaded for votes from hundreds of party delegates at the California Democratic Party's endorsing convention. They are all vying for the seat now held by Sen. Laphonza Butler, who was appointed when longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein died in September. Butler is not running for the seat and will step down when her term expires in early 2025.
The bar for a formal endorsement — 60% of the vote — is likely out of reach given the top three candidates are all sitting members of Congress with large bases of support. But the vote on Saturday night will offer a glimpse of how the party faithful views the top candidates, two of whom could meet in a head-tohead matchup in the general election should no Republican garner enough support to advance past the primary.
California's primary system allows candidates of all parties to compete on one ballot, sending the top two vote-getters to the general election regardless of party. California U.S. Senate races in 2016 and 2018 each featured two Democrats in the general election.
“Even in the absence of an endorsement, to gain the support of some of the most loyal and active activist Democrats in the state — they are a force multiplier,” Schiff said. “They are totally in it. They knock on doors, they send postcards, they text, they are the kind of beating heart of the party.”
All four candidates spoke to delegates during an afternoon session that was interrupted multiple times by demonstrators calling for a cease-fire in the IsraelHamas war. Demonstrators, many who were also holding Barbara Lee campaign signs, chanted “cease-fire now!” during the closing comments by both Schiff and Porter. Another group of protesters disrupted Reese's speech and refused to leave, continuing to chant for several minutes as the convention hall emptied.
A spokesperson for the protest described demonstrators as nearly 100 youth, workers and Democratic volunteers. Aylet Hasachar, one of the leaders of the cease-fire demonstrators, said they disrupted the convention because “most Democratic representatives
are not respecting the very fierce desire” of constituents who want a cease-fire.
“Unfortunately, a small number of non-delegate protesters circumvented venue security and disrupted the program,” said California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks, who added that the party uplifts free speech and freedom of expression.
The United States has been a longstanding ally of Israel, a policy that has historically had broad support among both major political parties. But the war that began last month following the Hamas attack on Israel — and Israel's response — has divided some party activists. Lee, who has represented her San
Francisco Bay Area district in Congress for more than two decades, is in the best position to benefit from that fracture.
Lee is known for being the lone member of congress to vote against war in Afghanistan in the days following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. She ended her remarks on Saturday by calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, to loud cheers from delegates and others in attendance.
While Lee is unlikely to garner enough support on Saturday to win the party's formal endorsement, a strong showing could reenergize her campaign. Schiff is widely seen as the frontrunner, leading the candidates in fundraising and
boasting a pack of influential endorsements — including the coveted blessing of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Public polling, generally, has Porter second and Lee third. But a large chunk of voters is still undecided, making the race far from a sure thing.
An endorsement from the state Democratic Party can boost a campaign in a competitive primary, but it doesn't necessarily signal how the wider electorate feels about the race as party delegates tend to be more liberal. In 2018, the state party endorsed thenstate Sen. Kevin de Leon over Feinstein in the general election, though it did little to boost his candidacy. Feinstein won the general election handily.
“The endorsing convention is mostly symbolic and it can send a signal, when there is very unified support for a particular candidate, that there is strong momentum behind a particular candidate. But we often don't see that,” said Matt Barreto, a University of California, Los Angeles political science professor who has worked in Democratic politics. “We often see splits, we see divisions.”
Schiff reiterated to delegates his role in impeaching former Republican President Donald Trump and said he would work to abolish the filibuster in the U.S. Senate so lawmakers could expand the number of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court and impose term limits. Porter highlighted her status as a single mother of three kids and vowed to defeat corporate public interests. Lee reminded delegates of her decision to get an abortion when she was 15, pledging to pass federal abortion protections.
Reese, a veteran of companies like Google and Facebook, said her goal is to “deliver financial security for all of you.”