The Surprising Reason Some Democrats May Not Want Dianne Feinstein to Resign Yet
If Feinstein resigns early, it could heavily influence the 2024 California Senate race, which already has Democrats divided on who to support
As reports regarding Sen. Dianne Feinstein's health continue to swirl, some prominent Democrats appear eager to keep the ailing lawmaker in office until her planned January 2025 retirement, despite a seemingly vast majority of Americans voicing concerns about her ability to serve.
The reason Feinstein, 89, has rallied a few unlikely supporters, some believe, traces back to a 2021 promise made by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
In a 2021 interview with MSNBC, Newsom vowed that, should Feinstein resign before the end of her term, he would nominate a Black woman to fill her seat. There are currently no Black women serving in the U.S. Senate, though two previously did — one of them, Kamala Harris, left to join the Biden administration as vice president.
When Harris vacated her seat, Newsom was urged to backfill her with another Black woman, but ultimately nominated a Latino man instead. After promising to nominate a Black woman this time around, Newsom finds himself in a position of needing to follow through should Feinstein resign — which could flip the already-underway 2024 Senate race upside down.
Here's the background you need to get a better understanding of how Feinstein's resignation could potentially decide the winner of California's heated 2024 Senate race.
Feinstein's Health Has Prompted Persistent Questions
Feinstein was admitted to a San Francisco hospital to be treated for shingles in March, saying in a statement at the time she was hopeful to return to the Senate later that month.
Ultimately, her leave stretched for more than two months, with the California Democrat returning to the Capitol in mid-May, using a wheelchair but saying in an official statement she was "prepared to resume my duties."
But questions about her health have persisted, particularly after Feinstein made comments to a reporter upon her return to the Senate suggesting she was unaware she ever left.
A bipartisan chorus of lawmakers and voters have now begun calling for her to step down.
Meanwhile, as Feinstein continues to move about Capitol Hill, reporters have taken note of one of her closest confidantes: Nancy Corinne Prowda, the eldest child of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is often seen accompanying Feinstein, per Politico.
The relationship has raised questions about the mingling of personal and political for Pelosi, who has already endorsed popular Rep. Adam Schiff to succeed Feinstein once her term ends next year.
Pelosi spokesperson Aaron Bennett defends the relationship between Pelosi's daughter and Sen. Feinstein, telling PEOPLE, "Nancy Corinne and Senator Feinstein have been friends for decades. Nancy Corinne has been supporting her in her shingles recovery."
RELATED: U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, 89, Hospitalized with Shingles
Rep. Pelosi herself is one of the leading Democratic voices who has expressed the unpopular opinion that Feinstein should not leave the Senate before her term ends. The speaker emerita's team insists that Pelosi has no intention of meddling with other people's careers.
“Speaker Emerita Pelosi and Senator Feinstein have been friends since long before their service in Congress — and their friendship is personal, not political," Bennett says. "Anyone who knows Senator Feinstein knows that her service in the Senate is entirely her own decision, and Speaker Emerita Pelosi would never suggest otherwise.”
Feinstein's Resignation Could Hurt Schiff's 2024 Senate Bid
Even before Feinstein formally announced her plan to sit out of the 2024 race, standouts in the Democratic Party began launching campaigns to backfill her.
Among them is Schiff, one of the most notable figures in Congress who led the first impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump for his dealings with Ukraine.
In announcing his Senate campaign in January, Schiff said, "Today's Republican Party is gutting the middle class. Threatening our democracy. They aren't going to stop. We have to stop them."
He continued: "That's why I'm running for the U.S. Senate. The struggle isn't over. Not for me, not for you, not for our country. Together we can and will win this fight."
But Schiff is running against a handful of other well-liked Democrats, including U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee and Katie Porter.
If Feinstein were to resign prior to the end of her term, some insiders speculate Lee could be the one hand-picked to serve out the remainder.
“If DiFi resigns right now, there is an enormous probability that Barbara Lee gets appointed — thus, it makes it harder for Schiff,” a Pelosi family confidant told Politico, adding that the relationship between Pelosi, her daughter and the senator is “being kept under wraps and very, very closely held.”
Gov. Newsom has promised to nominate a Black woman to take the seat. As CNN reports, it's a promise many Democrats hope he keeps, and it makes the most sense to nominate Lee, who has a strong political background and has already expressed a clear interest in the position.
“We do believe that Governor Newsom will keep his promise. We have known him to be a man of his word,” Democratic strategist Kimberly Ellis told the outlet.
Vilma Dawson, an attendee of the state Democratic Party Convention held over the weekend, echoed the remark, telling CNN: "I’m sure Governor Newsom has a plan to appoint an African American female. ... I don’t think the governorship is where he’s going to stop his political career. People have long memories as to whether they can trust someone to support, shall we say, promises that they made.”
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