Pelosi backs Rep. Schiff’s bid for Feinstein’s Senate seat

Democratic stalwart and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday supported Rep. Adam B. Schiff’s bid for the US Senate as long as incumbent Dianne Feinstein does not seek re-election.

“If she decides not to run, I will support House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who knows well the connection between a strong democracy and a strong economy,” San Francisco-based Pelosi said in a statement. “In his service in the House of Representatives, he has focused on strengthening our democracy through justice and building an economy that works for all.”

Schiff headed the Intelligence Committee until Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in the 2022 election.

Pelosi’s support comes as California Democrats increasingly eye the Senate seat Feinstein was elected to in 1992. While the incumbent has said she will announce her plans later this year, the 89-year-old is unlikely to run for another term. The former mayor of San Francisco has faced increasing questions about her mental acuity and frailty in recent years.

The prospect of a rare vacant Senate seat in California sets the stage for an expensive and hard-fought battle.

Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine was the first prominent Democrat to announce a bid for Feinstein’s seat last month, quickly followed by Burbank’s Schiff. Veteran Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee has told House colleagues that she plans to run and has begun assembling a campaign team. Silicon Valley MP Ro Khanna has also said he is considering a run. No prominent Republican has announced that they will run for office.

Along with Pelosi, Schiff also announced Thursday the support of 20 other current and former California congressmen, including Torrance’s Ted Lieu, Northridge’s Brad Sherman, Dublin’s Eric Swalwell and Los Angeles’ Henry Waxman.

“I am honored to have the support of Speaker Pelosi and so many of my colleagues in the California delegation,” Schiff said. “Together we have played a prominent role within the US Congress in protecting our democracy and supporting working families, and I look forward to continuing that work as your partner in expanding healthcare, tackling the climate crisis and tackling homelessness. “