Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif) told POLITICO "there are other voices in our state who are far more in touch with the values" than current Sen. Dianne Feinstein. | AP Photo Progressive California Democrat calls for Feinstein primary challenge

Hours after Dianne Feinstein announced she will run for re-election next year, a prominent California Democratic representative urged primary challengers to unseat the four-term senator.

Arguing it’s time for Democrats “to move on” and better represent the progressive grassroots, freshman House Democrat Ro Khanna of Silicon Valley on Monday said he has contacted Rep. Barbara Lee, one of the most liberal members of Congress, and former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich to urge them to challenge Feinstein's re-election in 2018.


Khanna reacted Monday to a tweet from Feinstein, the oldest member of the Senate, saying that she was "all in" and would seek a fifth full Senate term in 2018, when she will be 85. In an interview with POLITICO, the Silicon Valley Democrat said that while Californians can respect Feinstein’s “lifetime of public service,” she does not represent progressive grassroots on key issues that include privacy, “Medicare for All,” and the new innovation economy.

“She was totally out of touch when the whole debate happened on encryption,’’ that occurred between Apple and law enforcement officials in the wake of the San Bernardino terrorist massacre, he said. “She didn’t even understand some of those issues."

"She hasn’t been a strong advocate on privacy, she hasn’t been strong on civil liberties, she hasn’t been strong in terms of standing up to our foreign policy interventions around the world,’’ he said, describing her views as “hawkish.”

“And most recently, she has not embraced a move toward 'Medicare for All,’ and bold economic policies,’’ he said.

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Khanna, 41, who defeated eight-term Rep. Mike Honda, 75, to win the Silicon Valley seat last year, said he is not interested in running for the Senate seat himself. “I love my job, I really do, and I hope I’ll be re-elected to it,’’ he said, but, “I do hope other progressive voices will look at it.’’

“I asked (Rep.) Barbara Lee to run,’’ he said, of the East Bay representative considered one of the House’s most liberal members. He said he has contacted Reich, the former Clinton Cabinet member who has a presence as a regular media commentator and as a University of California-Berkeley professor, but “I don’t think he’s necessarily interested,’’ Khanna said.

But “there are other voices in our state who are far more in touch with the values” of the progressive grassroots than Feinstein, he argued. While fundraising could be a challenge, he said, both of them “could catch fire nationally,’’ and generate plenty of money online from the progressive base.

Khanna said that Feinstein has made tremendous contributions to California on issues like gun safety, and that she has a “life experience and unique perspective” that cannot be dismissed. But he added, “on understanding the new economy, I just don’t think she is the best person to lead California for the next six years.”

By contrast, Khanna is a strong backer of Rep. Nancy Pelosi , 77, continuing her role as House Minority Leader, and he defends her as the party’s “coach,’’ a prodigious fundraiser and an energetic defender of progressive policies.

“I do think our priority has to be to take back the House … I agree with Leader Pelosi and I would like to see the funding going to the seven targeted seats" in California now being held by vulnerable Republicans. He said that regarding flipping the House to Democratic control, "she is the best person to make that happen," and on issues, “she’s much more the progressive on foreign policy … Nancy had been much more progressive on economic issues, and she understands Silicon Valley better than Feinstein ever has.’’

Khanna’s words come as Sen. Kamala Harris, who has embraced many of the progressives’ key issues, including “Medicare for All,’’ has again stressed her strong support for Feinstein’s re-election. Last month, as polls suggested Democrats in California were lukewarm on Feinstein's re-election, Harris told POLITICO she would be behind California's senior senator "100 percent."

On Monday, minutes after Feinstein's tweet, she sent out emails to Democrats urging them to donate to Feinstein’s re-election campaign.

In an email blast to Democrats, Harris wrote: "Dianne is someone who sticks to her ideals and achieves results regardless of what makes for good politics or what her powerful opponents may say. We are better off because of her leadership in the Senate, and I’m proud to endorse her campaign. Can you join me today in helping Dianne Feinstein?"