The super PAC supporting Rep. Barbara Lee's (D-CA) bid for retiring Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D-CA) seat is telling donors it has raised more than $1.5 million in the second fundraising quarter of this year.
She Speaks for Me, the outside group, revealed the haul in a memo circulated to major contributors and obtained by the Washington Examiner on Tuesday. The memo encourages donors concerned about Lee's path to victory to get behind the PAC's efforts to boost the Oakland lawmaker's name recognition statewide, pointing to internal and public polling that says a significant majority of California voters are still undecided.
RUDY SALAS ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN TO KNOCK OFF VULNERABLE CALIFORNIA HOUSE REPUBLICAN
"In order to give Barbara a fair shot at making the top-2 next March, the next few months are critical, and we need to raise another $8.5 million to reach as many likely voters as we can," the memo reads. "If you’ve been hesitating to get involved, understandably wanting to make sure this is doable before jumping in — the answer is clear: this race is winnable. Barbara Lee will be California’s next U.S. Senator if we have the resources to tell voters about her."
The memo also points to what the committee calls its "message advantage," which notes that "when voters learn more about all of the candidates, Lee’s support grows by over 300%, while the other candidates remain stagnant."
The committee acknowledges that the $1.5 million figure pales in comparison to Reps. Adam Schiff's (D-CA) and Katie Porter's (D-CA) $8.2 million and $3.1 million respective hauls this cycle. Lee's numbers are not far off from former tech executive and long-shot Democratic candidate Lexi Reese's $1 million haul this quarter.
California operates with a "jungle primary" system, wherein candidates from all parties compete to be one of two finalists in the general election. Given the state's heavily blue tilt, there have been multiple instances where two Democrats have advanced to the general election.
The PAC’s organizers — political consultants Nathan Barankin, Brian Brokaw, and Dan Newman — began fundraising for Lee’s bid before her campaign even got off the ground and as Schiff began clinching his front-runner status in the race.
Feinstein, the Senate's oldest member at 89, was absent from the upper chamber for months after receiving a shingles diagnosis in February. The situation stymied the Democrats' ability to advance President Joe Biden's nominees and legislative efforts. The party only controls the Senate by a 51-49 margin, meaning one absence gives the Republicans an opportunity to block any partisan effort.
After years of criticisms from those in her party who said she was no longer up to the job, Feinstein said at the time of her diagnosis that she wouldn't seek reelection in 2024, though she vowed to serve out the remaining 20 months of her term. Facing resignation calls from House Democrats and frustration from her Senate colleagues that was spilling out into public view, a wheelchair-bound Feinstein returned to the Capitol in mid-May looking frail and at times disoriented.
Feinstein has remained adamant that she will not resign before the end of her term despite concerns about her fitness to serve and has described being a senator as her "calling."
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Despite that refusal, Feinstein's deteriorating health has placed Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) in an uncomfortable position. Newsom vowed in 2021 that he would fill Feinstein's seat, should she retire early, with a black woman after he appointed Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), a Hispanic male, to replace Vice President Kamala Harris.
Lee, a black woman, was one of Newsom's front-runners to fill Harris's seat, though the governor is hoping to avoid weighing in on the 2024 primary with his pick for Feinstein's replacement. Lee has polled behind Schiff and Porter, albeit within the margin of error in most surveys. Regardless, an appointment by Newsom would give her the benefit of incumbency in her primary race.