“Congress has enacted laws on all of these topics over the past few years, but more needs to be done – and I will continue these efforts,” Feinstein said in a statement.
“Even with a divided Congress, we can still pass bills that will improve lives. Each of us was sent here to solve problems,” she added. “That’s what I’ve been doing for the past 30 years, and that’s what I plan to do for the next two years.”
Last year, Feinstein filed the first paperwork to run for re-election in 2024, but until Tuesday she had not explicitly said whether she would seek another term. Two California Democrats — Representatives Katie Porter, 49, and Adam B. Schiff, 62 — have already launched campaigns to fill Feinstein’s seat. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), 76, told her colleagues she also intends to run for the Senate seat.
California leans heavily Democratic and uses a multiparty primary system in which the top two candidates qualify for the general election, regardless of party affiliation. California’s other senator, Democrat Alex Padilla, 49, won his first full term in November and won’t be re-elected until 2028.
Feinstein, the former mayor of San Francisco, was a trailblazer, elected to the Senate in 1992 amid women’s outrage over the Senate’s treatment of Anita Hill, who accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment while he was a candidate for the Supreme Court. judge. Thomas denied the charges.
Feinstein has for years brushed aside questions about his age and ability to serve, but has also stepped down from a number of key roles in recent years. She resigned as the first Democrat from the Senate Judiciary Committee before the 117th Congress.
Last year, Feinstein declined to be considered acting Senate president, a position that traditionally goes to the ruling party’s most senior senator and who is third in line after the presidency. The role instead went to Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.).
The race for Feinstein’s seat will likely be competitive and expensive. The most recent reports from the Federal Election Commission show Schiff had $20.6 million in campaign funds available. Porter had $7.7 million in cash and Lee had $54,940.
Dylan Wells contributed to this report.
Washington
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