“The nation’s oldest U.S. senator looks like she’s sticking around. California’s Dianne Feinstein turns 84 on Thursday and is displaying signs that she’s headed for a re-election campaign, not a retirement party,” the Sacramento Bee reports.
“While the Democrat has been coy when asked about seeking a fifth full term next year, her political committee, unambiguously titled Feinstein for Senate 2018, raised more than $650,000 in the first three months of this year in a cue she is looking ahead.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said she is waiting for some family health issues to be resolved before she announces whether she’ll run for another term in 2018, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Said Feinstein: “The time is coming, be assured. I’ve had reasons for waiting, and so once those problems are solved, I’ll let you know.”
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) “won’t be back,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
“He said Sunday that he is not interested in running for the U.S. Senate, after rumors bubbled last week that he was considering a campaign for the seat currently held by Sen. Dianne Feinstein.”
Said Schwarzenegger: “I’m deeply flattered by all of the people who have approached me about running for Senate, but my mission right now is to bring sanity to Washington through redistricting reform like we passed here in California.”
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) may be mulling a political comeback, Politico reports.
“The prospect of Schwarzenegger’s return to elected politics in a 2018 U.S. Senate run — possibly as an independent — is generating increasing buzz in state Republican circles, fueled by the former governor’s seeming ability to get under the skin of President Donald Trump on social media.”
Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) told Univision that she believes President Obama may have endorsed rival Kamala Harris in California’s U.S. Senate race because they are both black.
Said Sanchez: “I think they have, what he said they have, is a friendship of many years. She is African American, as is he. They know each other through meetings.”
“Sure, I could say I’m going to be the next senator, but that wouldn’t be honest.”
— California U.S. Senate candidate Ron Unz (R), quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle, admitting he’s just using his bid to fight a ballot measure on bilingual education.
“Turmoil and lackluster funding in California Attorney General Kamala Harris’s (D) Senate campaign has some Democratic operatives wondering what’s gone wrong,” The Hill reports.
“Harris this week replaced campaign manager Rory Steele with Juan Rodriguez, who was serving as the campaign’s senior adviser. Harris’ team is also cutting costs to control its high rate of spending, which threatens to overtake the money flowing into the campaign account. These changes follow departures by two finance directors earlier this year.”
“Critics point to Harris’s own personality as the reason for some of the problems.”
Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) is not having the best Senate campaign roll out, Politico reports.
“After having a ‘draft’ of her official launch announcement leak and making a ‘war cry’ gesture while describing Native Americans at a California Democratic convention, Sanchez was caught on camera dancing in front of signs blasting Rep. Ami Bera, a fellow California lawmaker who is facing criticism from progressives and union leaders for his decision to support fast track authority.”
“It’s highly uncommon for lawmakers of the same party to appear at events where their colleagues are being protested but a video dated May 18 shows Sanchez clapping in front of signs blasting pro-trade lawmakers like Bera. One sign slams him directly.”
Two days after entering the race for the U.S. Senate, Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) met with an Indian American group on Saturday and mimicked a racial stereotype of American Indians, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Said Sanchez: “I am going to his office, thinking that I am going to meet with a,” she said, holding her hand in front of her mouth and making an echo sound. “Right? … because he said Indian American.”
Responded primary rival Kamala Harris: “I don’t know what to say to that.”
Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) will announce her candidacy for the U.S. Senate on Thursday, the Sacramento Bee reports.
“The announcement will come a day before California Democrats are scheduled to hold their annual convention in nearby Anaheim. So far, Attorney General Kamala Harris has been the only Democrat to enter the race to succeed U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer.”
Kamala Harris (D) “continues her cake-walking campaign to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, facing the slightest opposition in what promised, at first, to be an epic fight,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
“While the lack of strong competition is surprising, the reasons are no mystery… Part of the explanation speaks to individual motives; each of the potential top-shelf Democratic contenders had reasons for skipping the Senate contest. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa would both rather be governor, a job that comes open after 2018, when the term-limited Jerry Brown steps aside.”
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) told the Los Angeles Times that he would not enter the race for Barbara Boxer’s seat in the U.S. Senate, leaving state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris (D) as the only major candidate.
“Villaraigosa’s surprise decision followed weeks of meetings and phone conversations with Democratic luminaries, campaign consultants, fundraisers and potential supporters. Close allies had expected him to run.”
California Attorney General Kamala Harris (D) “defended her aggressive young U.S. Senate campaign, which some of her fellow Democrats have complained is aimed at keeping others, notably a Latino candidate, out of the race,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
Said Harris :”I have always entered races early and run hard, and that’s what I’ve done in this race. I make no apologies for it.”
“In any other campaign, a labor union backing a Democrat for U.S. Senate would be routine. But the first to line up publicly behind state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris turned out to be the Los Angeles Police Protective League,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
“The announcement Wednesday underscored that a paramount goal for Harris is to keep Antonio Villaraigosa from entering the Senate race — or at least to make it more difficult for the former Los Angeles mayor should he decide to jump in. Indeed, for Harris, the ritual of rolling out endorsements has appeared to be largely about fending off Villaraigosa, a fellow Democrat whose allies say he is leaning toward announcing his candidacy and could do so soon.”
“One of Antonio Villaraigosa’s closest friends and advisors said Thursday that all signs were pointing toward the former Los Angeles mayor declaring his candidacy for U.S. Senate within the next two weeks,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
“State Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, also a Democrat, is the only major candidate in the contest so far. For more than three weeks, Harris has been raising money for the June 2016 primary – an arduous task, given California’s high campaign costs and the $2,700 federal limit on donations from individuals. Any top-tier candidate needs to raise several hundred thousand dollars a week, experts say.”