Sen. Dianne Feinstein is running for reelection. The left isn't happy about it.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) announced Monday that she is running for reelection for the California Senate seat she has held since 1992.

Feinstein said on Twitter that she was “all in” and pledged to end gun violence and combat climate change.

I am running for reelection to the Senate. Lots more to do: ending gun violence, combating climate change, access to healthcare. I’m all in!

— Dianne Feinstein (@DianneFeinstein) October 9, 2017

Her reelection bid comes amid some criticism of her record from the left wing of the Democratic Party. As Emma Roller wrote in a profile at Splinter, Feinstein has opposed single-payer health care, staked out hawkish positions on national security (backing the Patriot Act and calling Edward Snowden a traitor), and supported raising the Social Security retirement age — all in a state that’s one of the most safely Democratic in the country.

Furthermore, Feinstein is 84, and running for reelection means that many of the younger Democratic talents in California may not have a clear opportunity to rise through the ranks. For instance, former California Sen. Barbara Boxer retired in 2015 at age 74, allowing rising star Kamala Harris to be elected to the Senate.

Critics say Feinstein is staying on as a leader when her policies come from a previous time in the Democratic Party. "Her policies are completely out of touch with California Democrats, and we think she'd be more at home in a Republican primary,” said Corbin Trent of the Bernie Sanders-inspired group Justice Democrats, vowing to back a primary challenger. “Safe Democratic seats are the place we should be representing core Democratic values and where the voters’ will should be absolutely represented.”

But it’s far from clear if the left has the political muscle to topple the long-serving Democratic senator. One top Democratic strategist pointed out on Monday that Feinstein’s approval ratings among independents and Democrats in California remain strong, and that ambitious progressive Democrats in the state may be loath to run against a politician who has been on the stage for so long.

“From my perspective, I think Feinstein probably wins. She’s an institution, and has a formidable political operation that’s been around forever,” the strategist told me. “I think the online left conversation about Feinstein being a pariah is probably a little overblown to voters in the state.”

from Vox - All http://ift.tt/2fVwOJ1