Former rivals are working collectively once more.
After almost a yr of working in opposition to every one other in California’s Senate race, Rep. Adam Schiff appeared alongside Rep. Barbara Lee at a Washington fundraiser partially to assist the Oakland congresswoman elevate cash for “debt retirement functions,” in accordance to a replica of the invite obtained by The Occasions.
The occasion got here the identical day Lee introduced her endorsement of Schiff in his head-to-head contest this November in opposition to former baseball participant Steve Garvey. Lee completed in a distant fourth place within the March 5 main.
“Now greater than ever, we have to elect folks like Adam Schiff, who will rise up in opposition to the autocrats seeking to divide this nation and dismantle our democracy,” Lee stated in a information launch asserting the endorsement.
“For many years in Congress, I’ve labored alongside Adam to ship for Californians. I’m honored to endorse him for the US Senate,” Lee stated.
Schiff and Lee have recognized one another almost 30 years, serving collectively within the state Legislature and Congress.
Together with fellow Democrat Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine, the three members of Congress vied to succeed Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who introduced early in 2023 that she wouldn’t run for an additional time period and died in autumn.
Whereas Porter launched political assaults in opposition to Schiff, the front-runner, all through the marketing campaign, Lee largely stayed above the fray, hardly ever singling out her opponents by identify.
“I’m so grateful for her assist on this race,” Schiff stated in an announcement.
Garvey, a Republican, prevented taking positions on most of the most urgent points and sidestepped questions on whether or not he would vote for Donald Trump in November. The previous athlete consolidated the California’s Republican vote within the main, whereas assist from Democratic voters splintered amongst Schiff, Porter and Lee.
Garvey completed first within the March main with 33% of the vote. Schiff got here in second with 29%, adopted by Porter with 17% and Lee with 11%
“Californians loudly rejected Barbara Lee’s pro-Hamas, pro-criminal agenda within the main and I stay up for seeing them reject Adam Schiff and this agenda in November,” Garvey stated in an announcement.
The fundraiser Wednesday morning was held at Washington D.C.’s Nationwide Democratic Membership, in line with the invite. The occasion was billed as “a breakfast reception honoring Congresswoman Barbara Lee in recognition for a profession of devoted service that includes particular visitor Congressman Adam Schiff.”
The invite requested for donations from political motion committees of as much as $5,000 and as much as $1,000 from people. Federal Election Fee data present that from the beginning of 2023 by way of the tip of March 2024, Lee’s senate marketing campaign raised $5.4 million. The marketing campaign ended March with $330,330.37 money available and $291,357.95 money owed or loans owed.
“They’ve labored collectively for many years and hosted a fundraiser collectively to shut out the marketing campaign and put together for what’s subsequent, which incorporates retaining Joe Biden within the White Home and electing a Home and Senate he can work with this November,” Robert Dempsey, Lee’s former marketing campaign supervisor, stated in a assertion.
