Rep. Barbara Lee conducts a news conference last year on the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) plans to run for Senate in 2024, according to a source familiar with the matter. This comes after Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) publicly announced her bid.
The big picture: Lee would be the first Black woman senator since Vice President Kamala Harris resigned from her former seat to serve as VP.
- Lee, who would be the third Black woman senator in the chamber’s history, shared her plans during a meeting Wednesday with the Congressional Black Caucus, the source said.
- Per the source, Lee has not gone public with her plans out of respect for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), 89, who has not yet announced if she’s seeking re-election. It has been widely speculated that the veteran lawmaker will not run for another term.
- Feinstein previously said in a statement to Axios: “Everyone is of course welcome to throw their hat in the ring, and I will make an announcement concerning my plans for 2024 at the appropriate time.”
- Politico first reported Lee’s plans.
State of play: California’s Senate race is shaping up to be a crowded contest after Lee and Porter’s announcements. Other Democrats, including Reps. Ro Khanna and Adam Schiff, are also reportedly eyeing a jump into the race.
- Lee’s Senate run would open her House seat in California’s 12th Congressional District.
Context: California’s other sitting senator, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), won election to the Senate during the 2022 midterm elections, becoming the first Latino elected to represent the state in the Senate after being appointed to fill the vacancy left by Harris.
