Staff
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (Oakland, CA) is one step closer to the declaration of her candidacy to run for the seat long-time Senator Dianne Feinstein has held after filing paperwork with the Federal Election Commission this week.
While she has not made her plans official, her campaign has taken the necessary steps to prepare stating that the Congresswoman would have more to say before the end of the month.
On Tuesday, Feinstein, 89, announced that she would not run for re-election in 2024, stating the time for her retirement had come.
California U.S. Representatives Adam Schiff and Katie Porter had already announced their plans to run for the seat with Schiff securing the endorsement of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the event Feinstein did not run.
Lee—who has served in the House since 1998—congratulated Feinstein on “her historic, trailblazing career”.
“It has been an immense honor to serve alongside Senator Dianne Feinstein, the longest-serving woman senator in our nation’s history,” Lee said in a statement. “For over two decades, we’ve worked closely together to represent the best interests of our great state of California; create an economy that works for all; and advance justice and equity. The progress we’ve made in the fight for equity can be seen in the Senator’s tenure itself: when she was elected in ’92, there were just two women senators. Today, there are 25.