Beloved Democrats Schiff and Porter start ugly and costly race for California Senate seat

The race for the coveted California Senate seat has begun, and it’s shaping up as a costly, ugly battle between the two top political fundraisers in the House of Representatives chamber.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Cal, who announced his bid for the Senate seat on Thursday, joins Rep. Kathy Porter, D-Calif., in a competitive race for Senator Dianne Feinstein, 89, who is up for re-election in 2024. Feinstein has yet to announce his intention to seek re-election.

Porter, a progressive rising star and former student of Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, raised a whopping $25 million in political donations last cycle, making her the second member of the House of Representatives after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Porter’s total fundraising even surpassed that of her boss, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – a well-known fundraiser in her own right.

Schiff was the fourth member of the House of Representatives to be nominated for re-election last year, receiving just over $23 million from 2021 to November 2022.

CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC ADAM SHIFFF WILL BE BONTED FOR FINESTEIN’S SEAT IN THE US SENATE

Despite trying to position herself as a progressive “warrior”, Porter and her political ambitions may be thwarted by accusations of racist remarks and promoting a toxic work culture.

A former California Democrat staffer alleged that the congresswoman made rude and racist comments about employees and said she “made fun of people for reporting sexual harassment.” The allegations came to light in December, but the news was largely ignored by the mainstream news outlets.

Schiff, the figurehead of the impeachment inquiry into former President Donald Trump, is facing his own share of internal party backlash. A progressive group attacked the congressman for his anti-Trump actions just hours after Schiff announced his run for the US Senate.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, was the House impeachment manager during the Senate impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump.
(Drew Angerer/Brandon Bell)

“Adam Schiff plays the role of Trump’s antagonist on TV, but a recent book details how he stalled and undermined leaders trying to hold Trump accountable in Congress. And he never challenges corporations or the Democratic establishment,” Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), said Thursday in a statement.

SENATE CAMPAIGN STARTED ONE DAY SCHIFF RECEIVED ETHICS COMPLAINT FOR USING TRUMP IMPEACHMENT VIDEO

Shortly thereafter, the ethics watch team asked the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) to investigate Schiff’s use of footage from the Senate floor in his campaign video message. According to a complaint filed on Friday, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) said the Californian progressive “misused official resources for political purposes.”

California Congresswoman Barbara LeeThe 76-year-old said she also intended to run for Feinstein’s seat, but made no official announcement.

Some also speculate that Democratic Rep. Ro Hanna, who represents California’s Silicon Valley, may also throw his hat in the ring for Feinstein’s seat.

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California uses what is known as the primary jungle system. in which the top two primary candidates go to the general election, regardless of their party, making it highly likely that Democrats will face off against Democrats in the 2024 general election.

Houston Keane of Fox News contributed to this report.