Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., finally made the announcement Tuesday that Democrats in California had been waiting for — she will not run for another term and will instead retire at the end of 2024.
The writing had been on the wall. Prominent California Democrats have already announced they’re running for Senate (with more on the way); former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi backed a candidate (Rep. Adam Schiff) in case Feinstein wasn’t running; and the 89-year-old senator raised just $8,800 in 2021 and 2022, closing the year with less than $10,000 in the bank and a half-million in debt.
But the certainty now officially clears the field for what’s bound to be one of the most expensive (if not the most expensive) primaries in the country. And it’s one less question looming over the Senate map ahead of the 2024 election.
In other campaign news:
Trump picks up another endorsement: Freshman Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., who defeated Liz Cheney in last year’s GOP congressional primary, is backing Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race, per NBC’s Garrett Haake.
New York state of mind: New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told The Gothamist that she had a “lovely lunch” with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., amid rumors that the progressive congresswoman could challenge the senator in a primary. Gillibrand praised Ocasio-Cortez and said she couldn’t “think of a better adversary for [Rep.] Marjorie Taylor Greene” on the Oversight Committee.
Texas forever: Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told supporters he’s running for re-election to the Senate in 2024, and he’s not running for president, per the Houston Chronicle.
Chatting about China: South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem will deliver a speech responding to the “threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party” at the America First Policy Institute.
Show me your budget, I’ll show you your values: New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who is weighing a presidential run, laid out his budget priorities during a Tuesday speech, focusing explicitly on education licensing reform, housing and raises for state employees, per WMUR.
Second time a charm?: Democrat Adam Frisch, who lost to Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert in Colorado-03 by a few hundred votes last year, announced he’s running again.
Poll position: Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, released a poll of the West Virginia Senate race showing GOP Gov. Jim Justice in the strongest position against Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, per Politico.
Casey undergoes surgery: Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., underwent surgery for prostate cancer on Tuesday, and a spokesperson said Casey’s doctor “reports that, as expected, the procedure went well and he confirmed that the Senator should not require further treatment.” Casey has not yet said if is running for re-election amid his cancer diagnosis.
Help for Florida man: Club for Growth, a conservative group, is endorsing Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and plans to spend to support Scott’s re-election, per Politico. The group also took a swipe at McConnell, who has criticized Scott’s proposal to sunset all federal legislation after five years unless reapproved by Congress, including Medicare and Social Security.
