Activist Upsets Feinstein For California Dem Endorsement

The state Democratic Party voted overwhelmingly Saturday to endorse Kevin de León
By Josh Gardner,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 15, 2018 3:00 PM CDT
California Dems Snub Feinstein to Endorse Liberal Activist
California state Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de Leon.   (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

A state senator has won an upset over longtime US Senator Dianne Feinstein. On Saturday, the California Democratic Party voted overwhelmingly to endorse Kevin de León instead of the 4-term incumbent after de León, a progressive out of Los Angeles, successfully lobbied party activists, per the AP. In accepting the endorsement, de León called it a "rejection of politics as usual." He wrote in a tweet Saturday: "Earning the endorsement of so many leaders and activists of the California Democratic Party isn't just an honor and a privilege; today's vote is a clear-eyed rejection of politics as usual in Washington, DC." As CNN notes, de León won 65 percent of the vote despite arguments from Feinstein and her supporters that failing to support her would damage the Democrats internally and affect down-ballot races in November.

Feinstein won over just 22 voters from a 360-member board, but her campaign manager says he's confident she'll have the support of Californians. "While 217 delegates expressed their view on Saturday, Senator Feinstein won by 2.1 million votes and earned 70% of the Democratic vote in the California Primary election, carrying every county by double digits over her opponent," Millman said in a statement referring to Feinstein's win over de León. The two Democrats will duke it out come November thanks to California's primary system, which sends the two top candidates from the primary election in terms of votes to the general election, regardless of party. (More Dianne Feinstein stories.)

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