Senate veteran fails to win Democratic endorsement for first time, as challenger Kevin de León calls for more dynamic agenda

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Dianne Feinstein has for the first time failed to win the endorsement of the California Democratic party as she seeks a fifth term in the US Senate.

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Activists at the state party convention this weekend were more eager to back her primary challenger Kevin de León, the California senate leader who is presenting himself as a fresh face with stronger progressive credentials.

However, he too failed to earn the 60% support needed to win the endorsement. Neither candidate will get extra campaign cash leading into the June primary.

The primary system in heavily Democratic California allows the two highest vote-getters to advance to the general election, regardless of party identification. There is no Republican candidate, meaning a showdown between De León and Feinstein was likely from the start.

None of the four Democrats running to succeed Jerry Brown as governor secured an endorsement.

Lt Gov Gavin Newsom, a former San Francisco mayor crafting himself as a warrior for progressive ideals, took 39% with state treasurer John Chiang and former state schools chief Delaine Easton not far behind. Former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, courting more moderate and even conservative voters, won just 9%.

Party leaders also implored activists to rally behind one candidate in US House races with as many as seven Democratic hopefuls, warning a failure to unite could boost Republicans.



The battle between Feinstein and De León underscores tensions still simmering after the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, in which former first lady, New York senator and secretary of state Hillary Clinton beat a strong challenge from Bernie Sanders, an independent democratic socialist from Vermont.

Feinstein, 84, first ran for US Senate in 1994 and has never faced a credible primary challenger. She has touted her long record in Washington and seniority on important committees and highlighted her track record fighting for a ban on assault weapons, including her successful 1994 bill to do so, and her work to protect US gymnasts from sexual assault.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Kevin de León called the vote ‘an astounding rejection of politics as usual’. Photograph: Denis Poroy/AP

De León, who authored “sanctuary state” legislation to limit state authorities cooperating with federal immigration officials, argued that Feinstein has lost touch with progressive values and has not fought hard enough for young migrants brought to the country illegally.

“It should never take a primary challenge for California’s leadership to stand up for California values,” he told delegates ahead of the vote.

Feinstein voted against two federal spending measures that left out deportation protections for “dreamers”. Some activists felt those were forced votes.

“She shows up now that she’s being challenged,” said Ana González of San Bernardino County.

Quick guide What is Daca and who are the Dreamers? Show Hide Who are the Dreamers? Dreamers are young immigrants who would qualify for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (Daca) program, enacted under Barack Obama in 2012. Most people in the program entered the US as children and have lived in the US for years “undocumented”. Daca gave them temporary protection from deportation and work permits. Daca was only available to people younger than 31 on 15 June 2012, who arrived in the US before turning 16 and lived there continuously since June 2007. Most Dreamers are from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, and the largest numbers live in California, Texas, Florida and New York. Donald Trump cancelled the program in September but has also said he wants Congress to develop a program to “help” the population. What will happen to the Dreamers? Under the Trump administration, new applications under Daca will no longer be accepted. For those currently in the program, their legal status and other Daca-related permits (such as to work and attend college) will begin expiring in March 2018 – unless Congress passes legislation allowing a new channel for temporary or permanent legal immigration status – and Dreamers will all lose their status by March 2020.

Technically, as their statuses lapse they could be deported and sent back to countries many have no familiarity with. It is still unclear whether this would happen. Fear had been rising in the run-up to last week’s announcement. Those with work permits expiring between 5 September 2017 and 5 March 2018 will be allowed to apply for renewal by 5 October. What does the recent ruling by Judge William Alsup mean? In his ruling, Alsup ordered the Trump administration to restart the program, allowing Daca recipients who already qualify for the program to submit applications for renewal. However, he said the federal government did not have to process new applications from people who had not previously received protection under the program. When the Trump administration ended the Daca program, it allowed Daca recipients whose legal status expired on or before 5 March to renew their legal status. Roughly 22,000 recipients failed to successfully renew their legal status for various reasons. Legal experts and immigration advocates are advising Daca recipients not to file for renewal until the administration provides more information about how it intends to comply with the ruling. “These next days and weeks are going to create a lot of confusion on the legal front,” said Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, which has filed a separate lawsuit against the Trump administration’s termination of Daca. Joanna Walters

Feinstein’s backers downplayed her failure to win the endorsement, saying she remains popular among the wider electorate and has millions of dollars needed to run a successful campaign.



“I think we’re in good shape,” said her political strategist, Bill Carrick.

De León called the result “an astounding rejection of politics as usual” and a boost to his campaign’s momentum.

He did not appear to lose support over a sexual misconduct scandal at the California state capitol, under his leadership. His former roommate, Tony Mendoza, resigned on Thursday after an investigation concluded he likely sexually harassed six women. De León had called for Mendoza to be expelled.