{"id":2050548,"date":"2023-09-30T07:34:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-30T11:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-feinsteins-death-ignites-succession-battle\/"},"modified":"2023-09-30T07:37:12","modified_gmt":"2023-09-30T11:37:12","slug":"sen-feinsteins-death-ignites-succession-battle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-feinsteins-death-ignites-succession-battle\/","title":{"rendered":"Sen. Feinstein&#8217;s passing sparks succession fight."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">12<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsen-feinsteins-death-ignites-succession-battle%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2050548&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Commentary<\/h2>\n<p>The family squabbles in\u2063 the months before Sen. \u2062Dianne Feinstein\u2019s death early Sept. 29 \u200cat age 90 resembled the drama in the recently concluded TV series \u201cSuccession.\u201d However, the political events leading to the appointment of a successor will prove even more dramatic.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the key: Everything will circle around what\u2063 choice by Gov. Gavin Newsom best\u2062 advances his obvious presidential ambitions. \u201cWe need \u2062to move past \u200dthis notion that he\u2019s not going to run,\u201d Mr.\u200b Newsom said on NBC\u2019s \u201cMeet the Press\u201d earlier\u2062 this month. \u201cPresident Biden is going to run and I\u2019m looking \u200bforward to \u200bhim getting reelected.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/california-leaders-react-to-sen-feinsteins-death-next-steps-contemplated-5501275?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>California Leaders React to Sen. Feinstein\u2019s\u2062 Death, Next Steps Contemplated<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/29\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/california-leaders-react-to-sen-feinsteins-death-next-steps-contemplated-5501275?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/all-eyes-on-gov-newsom-over-appointment-of-sen-feinsteins-successor-5500994?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>All Eyes\u2063 on Gov. Newsom Over Appointment of Sen. Feinstein&#8217;s Successor<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/29\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/all-eyes-on-gov-newsom-over-appointment-of-sen-feinsteins-successor-5500994?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>But what \u200bif Mr. Biden drops out? Mr. Newsom \u200bdidn\u2019t address that possibility. The state Senate will have to approve any replacement, so he will be consulting closely with President pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and other top state senators. But \u2062they should prove most cooperative, \u2062as many will be \u200bhoping for future appointments to a Newsom presidential administration.<\/p>\n<p>The first decision by him will be whether to abide by his \u200dstatement in the \u201cMeet the Press\u201d interview that he would appoint \u200bsomeone on an interim basis to replace Ms. Feinstein if needed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes. Interim appointment. I don\u2019t want to get involved in the primary. It would be completely unfair to the Democrats that have worked their tail off. That primary is just a matter of months away. I don\u2019t\u2063 want to tip \u200dthe balance of that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>That means an appointee would have to promise not to enter the race for\u2064 the nomination in the March 5 primary. The \u2062three main Democrats\u200d who have\u2062 \u201cworked their tail off\u201d are Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, and\u2064 Barbara Lee.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:629px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., on May 12, 2023. (Hector \u2062Amezcua\/The Sacramento Bee via \u2062AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Mr. Newsom confirmed in the interview he would appoint a black woman for the interim post. \u201cI abide by what I\u2019ve said very publicly,\u201d he said. Ms. \u2062Lee retorted Sept. 10 \u200don X, \u201cI am troubled \u200cby the \u2063Governor\u2019s remarks. The idea that a Black woman\u200d should \u200bbe appointed only as a caretaker to simply check a box is \u2064insulting to countless Black women across this country who have carried the Democratic Party to victory election after \u2064election.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Which probably means she is \u200cless likely\u200c to \u200bget the appointment. However, she ran a distant\u200d third \u200bon a Berkeley IGS Poll released Sept.\u200d 7, behind Mr. Schiff\u2019s 20 percent and Ms. Porter\u2019s 17 percent. The fact is Ms. Lee doesn\u2019t have the fundraising prowess of the two leaders.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also \u2062worth remembering California has the Top Two primary system. Which means two members of the\u200b same party, such as Ms. Porter and Mr. Schiff, could win in the primary and face off in November. Which\u200c likely would mean the Republican\u2014no major names have yet to\u2064 announce\u2014probably\u2062 would finish third, with Ms. Lee fourth.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:636px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), left, speaks during a press conference in Washington on Nov.\u2063 19, 2019. (Olivier Douliery\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Indeed, for Ms. Feinstein\u2019s last election in 2018, she won the primary against another Democrat, current Los Angeles Councilman Kevin \u200bde Le\u00f3n,\u2063 age \u206251 at the time, who since has suffered an ethical scandal. She won only \u200b54 percent to 46 percent, indicating voters already \u2064were signaling they wanted to move on to a younger generation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:635px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) leaves the Capitol after the closing arguments\u2063 of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump \u200din Washington on Feb. 3, 2020. (Charlotte\u2064 Cuthbertson\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Ms. Lee is 77. With\u200c both the Democratic and Republican parties \u2064seeking younger candidates, \u2062her best shot at the Senate seat clearly was garnering the \u200dappointment. It would have been the \u200dcrown to \u200dher\u2062 career. But you\u2064 never know. She might still get the nod\u2014again, if it advances Mr. Newsom\u2019s White House aspirations.<\/p>\n<h2>Passing of the Generations<\/h2>\n<p>The movement to younger leadership is evident in both parties. President Joe Biden is 80. By contrast, the aspirants are Mr. Newsom, 55; Vice President Kamala Harris, 58; Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, \u206352; Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, 41; Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, 48; and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, 50. Somewhat older is New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, 65; Sen. Amy Klobuchar, \u206463; and of\u2062 course Sen. Bernie Sanders, recently visiting New Hampshire, 82.<\/p>\n<p>For Republicans, former President \u2062Donald Trump is 77. But contenders at the Sept. 27 debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library included, by age, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy,\u200c 38;\u2062 Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, 45; former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, 51; South\u2064 Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, 58; former New\u200c Jersey Gov. Chris\u200c Christie, 61; former Vice President Mike Pence, 64; and North Dakota Gov. Doug\u2064 Burgum, 67. The younger\u200c ones generally are more likely to go further in the \u2062process.<\/p>\n<p>For Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, longtime House \u200cSpeaker and Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), although running for reelection at age 83, already has passed the baton of that post to Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York City).<\/p>\n<p>Senate Republicans\u200b also are looking to when Minority Leader Mitch McConnell \u200bof Kentucky, 81, finally lets a younger senator take over.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:635px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Sen. Dianne \u200bFeinstein (D-Calif.) leaves the Capitol after the closing arguments of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in Washington on Feb. 3, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Feinstein\u2019s Legacy<\/h2>\n<p>In\u2064 the hours after Ms. Feinstein\u2019s passing, the Washington Post called \u2062her a \u201ccentrist stalwart.\u201d The San \u2064Francisco Chronicle hailed her as a \u201cpolitical giant.\u201d The New York Times celebrated her as \u201ca pioneer in politics.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) said\u200d in a statement: \u201cDianne Feinstein was a titan of the Senate and her passing is an incalculable loss to California, the Senate, and the country. Though we disagreed on much, I always found her approachable,\u2062 reasonable and sincere. She was instrumental in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-feinsteins-death-ignites-succession-battle\/\" title=\"Sen. Feinstein's passing sparks succession fight.\">advancing desperately needed forest \u200bmanagement reforms<\/a>,\u200b even when it meant bucking strident voices on the left.\u200d Her presence will be keenly missed, but her example will live on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>First \u2062elected in 1992, she was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/8-key-house-races-that-could-flip-this-november-2\/\" title=\"8 Key House Races That Could Flip This November\">longest-serving woman<\/a> ever in the senior legislative\u2062 body, the highest-ranking Democrat, and the third-highest ranking overall after Sen. \u200cChuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Mr. McConnell. Seniority also brings the clout of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/in-mccarthy-negotiations-gop-landed-on-most-significant-win-for-conservatives-in-a-decade\/\" title=\"In McCarthy Negotiations, GOP Landed On \u2018Most Significant Win For Conservatives In A Decade\u2019\">plum committee assignments<\/a>. The top ones for \u2063her included the Judiciary Committee, including chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law; and the Committee on Appropriations, including chair of its Subcommittee on Energy and Water, crucial for California.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Her caretaker replacement, as well as the eventual winner of the 2024 election, will be a back-bencher with\u2063 much less influence and ability to advance policies for California.\u2063 The state\u2019s other Senator, appointed by Mr. Newsom in January 2021, is Alex Padilla, reelected last November. With \u200bMs. Feinstein\u2019s death, he\u200b rises only to 89th in seniority, although he will go up after next year\u2019s elections of new senators.<\/div>\n<h2>Democrats Will Move More to the Left<\/h2>\n<p>California statewide Democrats three decades ago still could be beaten by Republicans and \u200chad to\u200b be moderates. In 1990,\u2062 former San Francisco Mayor Feinstein lost the race \u2063for governor to \u200bRepublican\u2064 Sen. Pete Wilson, 49 percent to 46 percent. As his replacement \u2062in the Senate, Mr. Wilson appointed state Sen. John Seymour.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2062 set up a special election in November 1992 for the \u2062remainder of \u2063Mr. Wilson\u2019s Senate term. \u200dMs. Feinstein won that handily, 54 percent \u200cto 38\u200d percent. At the same time, a regular Senate election\u200c was held for the state\u2019s other \u200cseat, and \u2064it was much \u2063closer. Rep. Barbara Boxer, a more liberal Democrat, by 48 percent to 43 percent beat Republican Bruce Herschensohn. He was a former adviser to President \u200bReagan and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hugh-hewitt-the-real-story-of-the-most-famous-political-scandal-in-u-s-history\/\" title=\"Hugh Hewitt: The Real Story Of \u2018The Most Famous Political Scandal\u2019 In U.S. History\">staunch anti-communist<\/a>, whose book on Hong Kong I reviewed \u200din the Epoch Times.<\/p>\n<p>With Ms. Feinstein no longer around to provide\u200c at\u2063 least a partial brake to the party\u2019s liberal lunching, Democratic candidates for her seat and other seats can be expected to move even further to the left. Most will not be as cautious, nor as \u200bambitious, as Mr. Newsom. With her gone, in the replacement race Ms. Porter, Mr. Schiff, and Ms. Lee can be expected to increase \u200bthe velocity of their radicalism.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\"><em>Views expressed in this \u200barticle are opinions of \u2062the author and do not necessarily reflect \u2063the views \u2064of The \u2063Epoch Times.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How much support did Nt. Ms. Lee receive from likely Democratic primary voters?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Nt. Ms. Lee received only 7 percent support from likely Democratic primary voters.<\/p>\n<p>The appointment of an interim \u2063successor\u200c is just the beginning. The drama\u2062 will intensify when the primary is held on March 5, as the\u200b Democratic candidates fight for the nomination to serve the remainder \u200bof Ms. Feinstein&#8217;s term. This will be a high-stakes \u2064battle, as the winner will have a significant advantage going into the general election.<\/p>\n<p>While\u2062 Reps. Schiff, Porter, and Lee are seen as the frontrunners, other potential candidates may also enter the race. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Lt. Gov.\u2062 Eleni Kounalakis, and Secretary of State Shirley Weber are being mentioned as potential contenders. All eyes will be on the candidates as they campaign and try to gain support from voters across the state.<\/p>\n<p>But the drama doesn&#8217;t \u200cend there. Once the Democratic nominee is determined, they will face a challenging battle in the general election. California is a heavily Democratic state, but there is always the\u2064 potential\u2063 for surprises. The Republican candidate, \u2063whoever it may be, will likely try \u2062to exploit any divisions within the\u200d Democratic\u200c party and appeal to conservative voters in an attempt to \u2064gain traction.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2062outcome of this race will\u2063 not only \u2062determine \u2062who will fill Ms. Feinstein&#8217;s seat, but it\u200b will also \u2062have implications \u200dfor future elections and the political\u2062 landscape in California. A strong Democratic candidate who can \u200bunite the\u2064 party and appeal to \u200da\u200c broad range of voters will be crucial in maintaining the party&#8217;s dominance in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Commentary: The family disputes prior to Sen. Dianne Feinstein&#8217;s death mirrored the intense TV series &#8220;Succession.&#8221; However, the political events following her demise, particularly the selection of a successor, promise to be even more gripping. The crucial factor will be Gov. Gavin Newsom&#8217;s decision.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1801,"featured_media":2050549,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2050548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2050548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1801"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2050548"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2050548\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2050549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2050548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2050548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2050548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}