There wasn鈥檛 an endorsement vote, or even a straw poll. But there was still plenty of politicking at the state Democratic Party convention over the weekend by the three Democrats seeking to move up to the U.S. Senate and succeed Dianne Feinstein.
U.S. Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee were out in full force 鈥� courting delegates in the exhibit hall and at different caucus meetings, tailoring their messages as needed.
- At the Women鈥檚 Caucus meeting on Friday, Schiff of Burbank made his appeal by reminding the crowd of his experience standing up to former President Trump, and said it was women who voted out that 鈥渙range-haired SOB鈥� in 2020. His other key tactic: touting his endorsement from Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who was the keynote speaker of the weekend.
- Porter of Irvine pitched her willingness to 鈥樷�檚hake up Washington,鈥� telling the Women鈥檚 Caucus that she has not taken any money from Big Oil, corporations or their political action committees.
- Lee of Oakland told delegates she would bring a unique perspective to the Senate, where there are , and highlighted her record of trying to address inequality and her readiness to vote her convictions.
The courtship continued later into the evening, with Friday night gatherings hosted by Schiff and Lee. But their tones were starkly different.
Schiff hosted a comedy night, where he dropped f-bombs and joked about his relationship with his wife, Eve (鈥淪he said, 鈥楢dam, we鈥檝e been married for 25 years. We鈥檝e been having the same sex for 25 years. And I just think there鈥檚 got to be a better way.鈥欌��) and roasted Republican politicians, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Trump.
Meanwhile, Lee鈥檚 event was loud and buzzing, with state and local elected officials singing her praises. Porter greeted delegates Saturday morning while serving breakfast items at her exhibit hall booth.
Lee鈥檚 supporters were the loudest and most visible at the convention. But it鈥檚 unclear whether activists鈥� enthusiasm translates into Lee or Porter catching up to Schiff鈥檚 establishment support and fundraising. Schiff鈥檚 Pelosi endorsement stood out, since the convention was so Pelosi-centered 鈥� the theme 鈥淒on鈥檛 agonize, organize!鈥� was a quote from her, and the official tote bags featured her iconic clap-back during Trump鈥檚 State of the Union speech.
A shows Porter and Schiff ahead of Lee, but more voters undecided. But if two of them manage to prevail in March under California鈥檚 top-two primary system, it may be Republicans 鈥� not Democrats 鈥� who .
More than 2,500 delegates and officials gathered at the Los Angeles Convention Center for .
Here some other key takeaways:
Organizing against MAGA
Delegates united behind the convention theme: 鈥淒on鈥檛 agonize, organize!鈥�
And there was plenty of agony after the 2022 election, in which some helped tip the scales in favor of Republicans taking control of the U.S. House.
The party said it on Saturday afternoon 鈥� a priority for Democrats. A last week found that turnout among Democrats, women and voters of color 鈥� all key Democratic constituencies 鈥� all dropped more from 2020 than among Republicans, men and white voters.
鈥淲e need to take our organizing and our righteous fight for justice all the way 鈥檛il November of next year!鈥� .
To energize the party base for the 2024 election, there鈥檚 little better than going after Democrats鈥� favorite bogeyman 鈥� Trump, the current frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination. So there were plenty of attacks from party leaders against Trump and his MAGA base as extremists against women鈥檚 rights and democracy.
鈥淩epublicans don鈥檛 just want to control women鈥檚 bodies,鈥� , who is already . 鈥淭hey want to destroy our rights to live free in every way!鈥�
And Newsom and one of his favorite phrases: 鈥淭his is the free state of California! Eat your heart out, Florida and Texas!鈥�
All hail Pelosi
Delegates also paid homage to Pelosi of San Francisco, the first female speaker of the U.S. House, who lost her position after last year鈥檚 election to another Californian, Republican Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield.
The party put together , and speakers heaped praise on her leadership. 鈥淪he reinvented that position,鈥� Newsom said. 鈥淪he reinvented that office.鈥�
In her Saturday morning speech to delegates, she went after D.C. Republicans, but also as speaker-emerita: 鈥淒o you know what 鈥榚merita鈥� means? It means happiness.鈥�
But the Pelosi love-fest didn鈥檛 go off entirely without a hitch: Reporters were honoring her.
Dissension in the ranks
The state party is the nation鈥檚 largest, claiming more than 10 million members. So it鈥檚 no surprise that the party faithful don鈥檛 agree on every issue 鈥� and some of that dissension showed up at the convention.
While Newsom spoke, for not enough. In his 2018 gubernatorial campaign, he pledged to create such a system, but has backed away while in office, though he has signed bills to expand coverage. Bills for single-payer , including last year, a .
And while Democrats control the Legislature, they don鈥檛 always see eye to eye with Newsom. That鈥檚 as Assembly and Senate leaders haggle with the governor over , and .
Republican counter-programming
Disagreement with a supermajority isn鈥檛 great, but it鈥檚 better than being in the superminority.
During the convention, California Republicans were left to throw brickbats and grenades from the sidelines. They by recent headlines: the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst鈥檚 Office鈥檚 report that the than Newsom claims; the embarrassing ; and the big trouble facing former California labor chief .
And the GOP criticized legislative Democrats, again, for not acting aggressively enough to 鈥� in contrast to advancing a bill, labeled the 鈥淪kittles ban,鈥� to .
But California Republicans have their own issues, including a split between those supporting DeSantis for president and the grassroots activists who are still firmly behind Trump, as displayed at the .
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