California Rep. Lee Announces She’ll Run for Feinstein’s Senate Seat

Rep. Barbara Lee (D.Calif.) announced her candidacy for the Senate seat that was vacated by retiring Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

“Today I am proud to announce my candidacy for U.S. Senate. I’ve never backed down from doing what’s right. And I never will. Californians deserve a strong, progressive leader who has delivered real change,” Lee shared her news video in a post she made on Twitter, February 21, 2011.

Lee, a black woman, is running for election to the Senate. Currently, there are no African American female senators.

Lee, now 76, talks about being in segregation, and getting an illegal abortion. She spoke of escaping. “a violent marriage” Being a single, homeless mom “couldn’t afford childcare and brought her kids to class with her.” After being denied a spot on her squad, she vowed to be the first black cheerleader at her high school.

“To do nothing has never been an option for me,” She said.

Lee demanded that the middle class be protected, tackle poverty and homelessness, fight climate change, and stop global warming “MAGA extremists who think they can control people’s bodies and dismantle our democracy.”

Lee is known for being cautious on foreign policy. She was the sole vote against the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force. This resolution would have allowed the U.S. to go after the 9/11 perpetrators. The House passed her 2021 resolution to repeal 2002 AUMF that authorized the U.S. to war in Iraq, but the Senate killed it.

Lee opposed the certification of the presidential elections in 2001, 2004 and 2016, where the Republican nominee won.

Two other lawmakers—Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), 62, and Katie Porter (D-Calif.), 49—have already announced their candidacy for the seat. The announcements were made before Feinstein, who announced her retirement after a 30-year-long career in the Senate on Feb. 14. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.Calif.), supported Schiff, even though President Joe Biden hasn’t yet endorsed any Democratic primary candidate. In heavily blue California, the top two vote recipients advance to the general election, which will likely be Democrat-on-Democrat.

Lee has been a member of Congress since 1998. Lee is co-chair of House Democratic Steering Committee. This committee assigns Democrats to committees, and provides policy advice to party leaders. She served in the California State Assembly from 1990–96 and the California State Senate from 1996–98.

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