Former Los Angeles news anchor Christina Pascucci announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate on Wednesday morning in a bid against career politicians to fill the seat left by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
“This election will be a choice between how it’s been done, and how it can be,” Pascucci said in a video statement on X.
“Voters are disappointed by the polarization and partisan fighting they see in California, and across the nation. We need aspirational leaders now who will bring America back to its ideals. Washington is in dire need of a heavy dose of truth. I am the person to bring it,” she said, according to CBS.
I have some breaking news: I am running for U.S. Senate.
It’s time to stop the fighting in Washington, and focus on reaching across the aisle to put people over politics.
I believe in the promise of California.
I hope you do too. Join my fight: https://t.co/XycFXEHJYn pic.twitter.com/zhwX1n8TC4— Christina Pascucci (@Pascucci2024) October 18, 2023
Pascucci, 38, told POLITICO she is running as an independent Democrat to appeal to California’s 40% Latino population and undecided voters while positioning herself as a moderate consensus builder.
She spent over a decade reporting for KTLA-TV and Fox 11 before joining California’s 2024 Senate contest. The former anchor described herself as a “lifelong Californian, a tireless community activist,” and a “renowned journalist” after reporting in more than 100 countries worldwide, including war zones in Ukraine and other “conflict areas around the globe.”
“I’ve been covering the most pressing issues of California for the past 15 years and watching this race closely, as well as covering it and interviewing some of the candidates,” Pascucci said in the interview on Tuesday with the outlet. “And the more I watched it, the more closely I studied it, I honestly felt dismayed by how it was shaping up. I spoke to a lot of others who felt the same way. Like, this is our future — more of the same.”
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Pascucci joins top Democrats in the race, including Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Barbara Lee, and former Los Angeles Dodger Steve Garvey, who is running as a Republican.
California Governor Gavin Newsom selected Laphonza Butler to become the newest U.S. Senator after Feinstein’s death in late September to serve in her place for the remainder of the current term, which ends in 2025.
Butler hasn’t announced if she plans to seek the position in the next election.
Pascucci reportedly admitted her bid for Congress is a long shot.
“The only thing crazier than not jumping in this late would be not jumping in at all, because I have to fight for what I believe is possible for California and for this country,” she said.
The Los Angeles Times reported she would need to raise several million dollars to finance campaign ads throughout California’s expensive media market. She reportedly faces a financial challenge in her campaign compared to others already plugged into the race.
According to the Times report, the Federal Election Commission showed Schiff’s September bank records had about $32 million, Porter had $12 million, and Lee had $1.3 million.
The primary election for the seat is scheduled for March 5 in California, NBC reported. The top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election.