Ro Khanna Says He Won’t Run for Dianne Feinstein’s Senate Seat, Endorses Barbara Lee

Rep. Ro Khanna (D‑CA) announced on Sunday that he will not run for the seat held by retiring Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D‑CA) in 2024.After months of consideration, Khanna told CNN he would eschew the encouragement of leftist supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I‑VT) and endorse Rep. Barbara Lee (D‑CA) in the race.“I have concluded that, despite a lot of enthusiasm from Bernie folks, the best place, the most exciting place, action place for me to serve as a progressive is in the House of Representatives,” Khanna said to “State of the Union” anchor Jake Tapper.#BREAKING: @RoKhanna tells @jaketapper that he will endorse @BarbaraLeeForCA in the California Senate race. #CNNSOTU. pic.twitter.com/lgbj0clYTV— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) March 26, 2023“I’m honored to be co-chairing Barbara Lee’s campaign for the Senate and endorsing her today,” he added. “We need a strong anti-war senator, and she will play that role.”California boasts a primary system that will feature one ballot for the U.S. Senate race. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will move on to the general election.Khanna, whose district lies in Silicon Valley, gives Lee a key ally in the contest that features two other high-profile Democratic members of the House as competitors: Reps. Adam Schiff and Katie Porter.Schiff already scored a significant House endorsement from former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D‑CA), even before Feinstein announced last month she would not seek re-election.Khanna said he has “respect” for Schiff and Porter, who are bo …