Donning yellow-and-green pom poms and holding matching banners, supporters of U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee let out a deafening roar as she took the stage at the California Democratic Party convention. 鈥淏arbara Lee! Speaks for me!鈥� hundreds of delegates chanted repeatedly Saturday.
But it wasn鈥檛 enough for the Oakland Democrat to secure the official party endorsement in the U.S. Senate March 5 primary: None of the leading candidates 鈥� Reps. Lee, Katie Porter, Adam Schiff and tech executive Lexi Reese 鈥� reached the 60% threshold needed, according to results ratified Sunday.
Still, 鈥� far more than her third-place standing among Democrats 鈥� while Schiff had 40% of delegate votes and Porter received 16%.
鈥淥ur momentum is picking up speed, and tonight鈥檚 vote is evidence that our movement is touching people across the Golden State,鈥� Lee . 鈥淭he people want a tried and tested progressive with the record to prove it. I鈥檓 ready to deliver.鈥�
But her show of support was overshadowed by hundreds of demonstrators both inside and outside the convention hall, who chanted 鈥淐easefire Now,鈥� waved Palestinian flags and disrupted the proceedings. They drowned out the remarks of Schiff and Porter, shut down Reese鈥檚 speech and compelled party officials to cancel all Saturday night events and step up security for Sunday.
In his opening statement Sunday morning, party Chairperson Rusty Hicks called the protest 鈥渦nacceptable鈥� and vowed to hold accountable any delegates who violated the party鈥檚 .
鈥淎ntisemitism and Islamophobia has no place in our party or in our communities,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e condemn acts of violence that bring harm to our neighbors and divide us from one another, both here at home and abroad.鈥�
Ceasefire takes center stage
The support for Lee was partly energized by her support for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Among the leading Senate candidates, she is the only one to call for a ceasefire, despite . When she repeated her stance at the end of her speech to delegates Saturday, she drew waves of cheers from supporters.
In an interview, Lee said a ceasefire is 鈥渢he only way鈥� to safely release hostages, provide humanitarian assistance and 鈥渟ave civilian Palestinian and Israel lives.鈥�
鈥淭he United States has to be able to forge, and be part of, a path toward achieving peace and security for Israel and Palestine,鈥� she added.
Both Schiff and Porter told CalMatters they are calling for 鈥渉umanitarian pauses鈥� in the war, .
鈥淵ou can both support 鈥� as I do 鈥� Israel鈥檚 right to defend itself, but also grieve the loss of civilian life in Gaza,鈥� Schiff said. 鈥淲e have to make sure that a terrorist group is not running Gaza and threatening to end any ceasefire as they did .鈥�
Porter said she has listened to ceasefire supporters. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really important that we recognize that what we all should want here is a flourishing and successful life for the people of Gaza,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is a terrible, costly and heartbreaking conflict. And I respect people鈥檚 free speech rights to make their positions heard.鈥�
But Yousuf Bhaghani, a delegate and president of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in California, said Schiff and Porter would not answer the council鈥檚 call for a meeting or a change of stance. Bhaghani said while he already planned to vote for Lee because she is the only person of color in the race, her ceasefire stance cemented his support.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to me because I believe that loss of life on both sides of the fence is unacceptable,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 leader should not be afraid of expressing, especially the leader who will lead in the U.S. Senate.鈥�
Preaching to the caucuses
The lack of an endorsement was no surprise to Bob Mulholland, a longtime member of the Democratic National Convention and political strategist in California who attended the convention.
鈥淲hen you have three candidates all spending money, all here, (it is) very very hard,鈥� he said, referring to Lee, Porter and Schiff.
The split vote among delegates signals 鈥渁 benefit of riches for California Democrats,鈥� Hicks said.
鈥淚鈥檓 not worried about division within the party,鈥� he told reporters Friday. 鈥淲hen we鈥檝e got the opportunity to send another California Democrat to represent us in the United States Senate, that鈥檚 a good day.鈥�
To solicit delegate votes, the top Democrats bounced from caucus to caucus this weekend.
Addressing the Women鈥檚 Caucus, they touted their and . Standing before union members at the Labor Caucus, they emphasized their support for the right to organize and held up signs saying,
At the Labor Caucus, Porter touted her record of never having accepted contributions from corporate political action committees 鈥� donations from company executives and employees. She also rejects contributions from federal lobbyists and executives of banks, pharmaceutical companies and oil businesses 鈥� something her primary opponents have not pledged.
鈥淚 am not for sale, and I never have been,鈥� Porter said at multiple events during the convention.
Courting union support, Lee emphasized her experience on the picket lines. She advocated for the right to organize as well as a 鈥渓iving wage.鈥� During a forum last month, she supported a $50 hourly federal minimum wage, drawing applause and chuckles from the crowd.
鈥淚鈥檓 a legislator. I鈥檓 a negotiator. I鈥檓 an appropriator,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut guess what? I am a picket line walker.鈥�
Schiff stressed his endorsement from nine statewide unions, joking that he and his wife, Eve, were the 鈥渙riginal union.鈥� He pledged to pass unemployment benefits for striking workers and the Protecting the Right to Organize Act 鈥� legislation that would override states鈥� right-to-work laws.
鈥淲hen I鈥檓 in the U.S. Senate, you will have the most pro-labor senator in U.S. history,鈥� he said.
Outside the Safe Credit Union Convention Center in downtown Sacramento, Schiff鈥檚 campaign parked a featuring a topless young Schiff. He held a meet-and-greet with the Nor Cal Carpenters Union on Friday night, telling jokes about his 95-year-old dad in Florida.
At Porter鈥檚 event next door that night, her staff passed out swag promoting her and the campaign invited four Democrats 鈥� state Sen. of San Francisco, Assemblymember of Milpitas, Orange County Democratic Chairperson Ada Brice帽o and National Union of Healthcare Workers President Sal Rosselli 鈥� to speak in support.
Lee鈥檚 campaign ended Friday night with a drag show three blocks away at The Elks Tower Ballroom.
During the Saturday session, Lee, Porter and Schiff all vowed to support immigration reform, tackle climate change and address inflation. For many delegates, however, it was just a formality.
Cathy McRoberts, a delegate supporting Schiff, said his experience in politics 鈥� such as his role on the committee that investigated the Jan. 6 insurrection 鈥� is 鈥渟econd to none鈥� and 鈥渘ecessary鈥� in the Senate.
And Carrie Biggs-Adams, a delegate from Calaveras County and a union official with the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians, said she supported Porter because she is a woman and is younger than Lee.
Porter 鈥渃an serve there for a number of years and help change that culture and change that dynamic,鈥� Biggs-Adams said.
Congressional endorsements
Delegates did endorse in several battleground congressional races, which next year.
In the 47th District in Orange County, being vacated by Porter, the nod went to state Sen. on , despite his May arrest for drunk driving that resulted in three years of probation.
鈥淚 screwed up,鈥� Min told CalMatters. He said the case has not diminished support for him, noting that the a week after his arrest.
In the top-two March primary, Min faces challenges from Democrat Joanna Weiss, founder of the grassroots advocacy group Women for American Values and Ethics, as well as Republican Scott Baugh, .
In other competitive races, such as the 40th District represented by Republican Young Kim, none of the Democratic candidates reached the threshold to win the party endorsement. Only 43 delegates voted in that race, with Allyson Mu帽iz Damikolas, a candidate backed by the advocacy group EMILYs List, winning 58% of the votes.
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