California Democrats snubbed 84-year-old Senator Dianne Feinstein on Saturday at their state convention.
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Far left Democrat Kevin de Leon defeated the more moderate Feinstein 54-37 percent in voting.
At California Democratic convention Sunday, the delegate vote on US Senate race was:
Incumbent Dianne Feinstein — 37%
CA Senate President Kevin de León — 54%
Party rules require 60% for formal endorsement. But this is a striking rebuke for Feinstein from Ds who know her best. pic.twitter.com/Rpi3nwfw6C
— John Nichols (@NicholsUprising) February 25, 2018
Politico reported:
In a sharp rebuke of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the California Democratic Party has declined to endorse the state’s own senior senator in her bid for reelection.
Riven by conflict between progressive and more moderate forces at the state party’s annual convention here, delegates favored Feinstein’s progressive rival, state Senate leader Kevin de León, over Feinstein by a 54 percent to 37 percent margin, according to results announced Sunday.
Neither candidate reached the 60 percent threshold required to receive the party endorsement for 2018. But the snubbing of Feinstein led de León to claim a victory for his struggling campaign.
“The outcome of today’s endorsement vote is an astounding rejection of politics as usual, and it boosts our campaign’s momentum as we all stand shoulder-to-shoulder against a complacent status quo,” de León said in a prepared statement. “California Democrats are hungry for new leadership that will fight for California values from the front lines, not equivocate on the sidelines.”
A centrist Democrat, Feinstein has long maintained an uneasy relationship with activists who dominate state party conventions, and the vote this weekend — while embarrassing — was not unexpected.
