Eyes on 2024: California Senate race heats up

The California Senate race continues to heat up, with NBC News’ Ali Vitali scooping that Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is endorsing Rep. Katie Porter in the race.

Warren says in a video announcing her endorsement that Porter has “a backbone made out of steel,” later adding, “We need her and her whiteboard in the United States Senate.”

The endorsement comes even though Warren’s Senate colleague, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, has not yet announced if she is retiring. But Vitali reminds us that Warren and Porter have a long personal history. (You can read more about that on the Meet the Press Blog.) 

Warren’s endorsement is another boost for Porter, whose campaign announced on Wednesday that it raised $1.3 million in its first 24 hours — all of the donations were online and almost all of them were less than $100. 

Vitali and NBC News’ Haley Talbot also report that Porter will not have the primary to herself. Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee told fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus that she also intends to run. 

In other campaign news…

Doc drama: Some Democrats are acknowledging that the discovery of documents with classified markings at Biden’s former office gives Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, an opening to attack the president, NBC News’ Alex Seitz-Wald reports.

Humbled: Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin told NBC News’ Gary Grumbach in an exclusive interview that he’s “overwhelmingly humbled” by talk of him as a potential 2024 presidential candidate. Asked if he was ruling out a run for president, Youngkin said, “Virginians hired me to do a job and I am enjoying doing it. I feel every day that there’s folks who are counting on us and I’m looking forward to delivering for them.”

Call him maybe: New Hampshire GOP Gov. Chris Sununu told Fox News he is a “firm maybe” on a presidential run in 2024, NBC News’ Julia Jester reports. Sununu also told CNBC that he is “having conversations” about a run for the White House. He was also asked about Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, another potential presidential contender and said, “Ron’s good. We’re very different in our styles.” 

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For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

Trump on the trail: Trump is planning to head to South Carolina later this month for his first public campaign event of the year, but the event is not expected to be one of his signature rallies, Politico reports.

 Stay just a little bit longer: Democrats are pressuring West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Montana Sen. Jon Tester to run for re-election next year, Politico reports. Manchin told Politico he hasn’t decided if he’s running, and a Tester spokeswoman said Tester is “having conversations with his family.” The National Republican Senatorial Committee, meanwhile, launched a trio of digital ads pressuring the two senators, and Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, to “retire or get fired.”

Return of the Mac: West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner jumped into the GOP primary to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Jim Justice, per West Virginia MetroNews.

Pillen’s pick: Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen is set to announce his Senate appointment on Thursday. His pick will replace GOP Sen. Ben Sasse, who recently resigned to lead the University of Florida. 

Rouda running: Former Democratic Rep. Harley Rouda announced Wednesday that he’s running for Democratic Rep. Katie Porter’s House seat now that she’s running for Senate, per a campaign press release. 

Kent re-run: Joe Kent, a pro-Trump Republican who cost the GOP a House seat in Washington, announced that he is running again in the 3rd District.