Rep. Katie Porter announces 2024 Senate bid

Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) announced Tuesday that she is running for Senate in 2024.

Why it matters: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), 89, has not said if she’s running for re-election, but Porter will put significant pressure on California’s senior senator to decide.

The big picture: Both of California’s sitting senators have not publicly said if they plan to leave their seats, but it is widely speculated that Feinstein will not seek another term.

• Feinstein in 2021 filed initial paperwork to run for re-election, but it was more of a formality, rather than an official announcement, per SFGATE.
• “In order to keep that account active, the senator has to maintain current filings with the FEC,” Tom Mentzer, communications director for Feinstein, told SFGATE.
• California’s other sitting senator, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), won election to the Senate during the 2022 midterm elections, becoming the first Latino elected to represent the state in the Senate after being appointed to fill the vacancy left by now-Vice President Kamala Harris.
• Porter beat a Republican challenger during the 2022 midterm elections to secure a third term in Congress.

What they’re saying: “I’ve spent my career — both before and after being elected to the House — taking on special interests and delivering for working people, and I’m running for the Senate because Californians deserve a warrior fighting for them in Washington,” Porter wrote in an email to her supporters.

• “California needs a warrior in the Senate — to stand up to special interests, fight the dangerous imbalance in our economy, and hold so-called leaders like Mitch McConnell accountable for rigging our democracy,” she said on Twitter.

• In a statement to Axios, Feinstein said: “Everyone is of course welcome to throw their hat in the ring, and I will make an announcement concerning my plans for 2024 at the appropriate time.
• “Right now I’m focused on ensuring California has all the resources it needs to cope with the devastating storms slamming the state and leaving more than a dozen dead,” she added.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comment from Sen. Dianne Feinstein.