Not all is 'Fein' in Calif.
The California Democratic Party failed to endorse Sen. Dianne Feinstein for a fifth term on Sunday, a stunning rebuke for the incumbent first elected in 1992.
The 84-year-old senator won the support of just 37 percent of the 2,775 delegates gathered at the state party’s convention in San Diego.
Her chief rival, state Senate President Kevin de León, garnered 54 percent of the vote.
Although short of the 60 percent needed for endorsement, he still declared victory.
The 51-year-old Los Angeles lawmaker has positioned himself as a stronger, fiercer opponent of President Trump.
“California Democrats are hungry for new leadership that will fight for California values from the front lines, not equivocate on the sidelines,” de León said.
“We all deserve a leader who will take our climate action to Washington and will fight each and every day to protect our human and civil rights, our immigrant families and Dreamers, champion universal health care and create goodpaying middle-class jobs.”
Feinstein has millions of dollars in her campaign war chest and is far ahead in the polls, but the vote result sent shock waves through the party establishment.
Her backers tried to downplay the significance.
Senior Feinstein aide Bill Carrick said she was too busy to worry about the results.
De León “spent a lot of time working the party stuff over the years,” he told the Los An- geles Times. “She’s obviously a senator in Washington with a very serious day job.”
Critics of Feinstein, who is the oldest US senator in office, say she has been a fixture in Washington for too long and hasn’t been strong enough on immigration.
Frustration with Feinstein bubbled to the surface at the convention Saturday when she went over her scheduled time for her speech.
“Time’s up,” some people in the crowd shouted.
But supporters praised the senator for her strong backing of Democrats and their issues.
“She has so much seniority, it’s hard to give that up,” said delegate Cathy Jorgensen.
Delegates also voted on candidates to replace Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, who is leaving office due to term limits.
As in the Senate field, no candidate reached the 60 percent needed for endorsement.
Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a former San Francisco mayor, took 39 percent, with state Treasurer John Chiang and former state schools chief Delaine Easton not far behind.
Former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa won just 9 percent.