California Dems ABANDON Dianne Feinstein, Endorse Progressive Challenger For Senate

The California Democratic Party voted overwhelmingly Saturday to endorse Senator Dianne Feinstein’s opponent, Kevin de León, over the longtime Senator.

De León won the vote with 65%, while 28% voted no endorsement. Only 7% voted for Feinstein.

Feinstein is a 25-year incumbent and won the June primary with 44%, while de León only received 12%. The two candidates will both be on the ballot in November.

VOTING RESULTS — U.S. Senate:

Feinstein — 22 (7%)
de León — 217 (65%)
No Endorsement — 94 (28%) pic.twitter.com/BoxkNIk4sM

— California Democratic Party (@CA_Dem) July 15, 2018

After the vote, Feinstein’s campaign manager told the San Francisco Times the campaign is “confident that a large majority of California Democrats will vote to re-elect Sen. Feinstein in November.”

The endorsement signals a shift. The California Democratic Party is moving more left in an attempt to become less “establishment.”

“Tonight we showed the world what a truly unified Democratic Party looks like,” de Léon said in a celebratory tweet. “California Democrats are leading the call for a bold agenda in Washington that puts people before politics & focuses on building a future for our state that works for everyone.”

“[T]oday’s vote is a clear-eyed rejection of politics as usual in Washington, D.C.,” he added.