Despite over a quarter-century representing California in the Senate, Dianne Feinstein in a humiliating setback was denied the endorsement of the California Democratic Party on Saturday, signaling a shift away from moderates at the highest levels of the state political infrastructure.
State Sen. Kevin De Len, offering the strongest challenge to Feinstein since her election, garnered 54 percent of the vote of nearly 3,000 delegates gathered here at the state convention, compared to just 37 percent for Feinstein. The state party endorsement gives candidates coveted placement on state party mailers and can raise the profile of candidates who may have a deficit in fundraising. Its not like Feinstein has a need to raise her profile in the state, and has plenty of money to get her message out. But denying the party endorsement to a sitting U.S. Senator is a remarkable turn of events for a lawmaker who has been a fixture in California politics going back to her days as a San Francisco board supervisor, where she was first elected in the late 1960s.
Had De Len hit 60 percent, he would have won the endorsement outright. As it is, neither can claim it.
Feinstein, who would be 85 by the time she is sworn in for another term, does have a checkered history with the state party. In 1990, she famously gave a speech endorsing the death penalty during a campaign for governor, drawing loud boos from the hall. State delegates gave their endorsement in that governors race to Attorney General John Van de Kamp. Feinstein then used the footage of delegates booing her in campaign ads to prove her political independence. She won the primary, but lost the general election to Pete Wilson. (She then won Wilsons vacated Senate seat.)
But that was long ago, and Feinstein has consistently earned the state partys support for U.S. Senate in the 28 years since.
In the most recent poll from the Public Policy Institute of California, taken in early February, Feinstein held a 46-17 lead over De Len, with about one-third of likely voters undecided. De Len is expected to land in the top two with Feinstein and move to the general election in November, although Justice Democrats-endorsed activist Alison Hartson has earned the most small-dollar donations in the race, even more than Feinstein. Hartson was not on the Senate endorsement ballot, though another challenger, attorney Pat Harris, was.
The party also chose endorsements for statewide offices, as well as congressional and legislative races. There was no endorsement in the closely contested gubernatorial race, between Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, Treasurer John Chiang, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin.
In Congressional races, Bryan Caforio, a Democrat with support from leaders in the party running in the winnable 25th District, fell short of an endorsement against progressive challenger Katie Hill amid rumors that the party brass flipped on the race because of Hills fundraising prowess. In the 45th District, former Chuck Schumer aide and Center for American Progress fellow Dave Min got more than the required 60 percent support for an endorsement, in a race that includes foreclosure fraud expert Katie Porter.
Feinstein competed hard for the endorsement, holding conference calls and a scrambled egg breakfast with delegates, sending them numerous mailers and text messages, and appearing at party caucus meetings for the first time in decades. She reportedly received a smattering of boos at the partys labor caucus when she said she voted with labor on every vote I know.
