On New Year’s Day 2017, California was represented by two Jewish women in the U.S. Senate. By this time next year, there may be none.
Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein served in the Senate together for almost a quarter of a century, until Boxer retired and was succeeded by Kamala Harris four years ago. It now looks possible that Feinstein will no longer be serving twelve months from now, either.
California’s senior senator has been on the receiving end of unfamiliar criticism recently, most notably for her collegial approach to this fall’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings, after which she complimented and embraced Senate Judiciary Chair Lindsey Graham. This led to such an uproar among Democratic party progressives that Feinstein has since stepped down from her senior role on that committee and fueled speculation that she might choose to leave the Senate altogether before her term expires in 2024.
The progressive fragging that Feinstein has endured became even more intense after the election, as various interest groups lobbied Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint Harris’ replacement from their own respective demographic groups.
During the pre-selection frenzy, many Democratic activists began to publicly call for Feinstein to resign from her seat, arguing that the state should be represented by a younger and more left-leaning senator that better reflected the state’s demographic diversity. (These critics ignore the fact that Feinstein was re-elected just two years ago over a younger, more progressive Latino opponent.)
Ironically, the public pressure on Feinstein is only likely to stiffen her resolve. She is a justifiably proud woman, who would prefer to depart on her own terms rather than the result of grassroots bullying.
But if Feinstein’s critics are smart enough to bite their tongues, they still could get their wish. Feinstein may have left a clue about her future a few weeks ago, when she publicly endorsed Secretary of State Alex Padilla for Harris’ seat. At that time, Newsom was facing competing demands to appoint a Latino or an African-American woman, a decision that would cause him to upset a key Democratic constituency no matter what he decided. Padilla’s first job in politics was as a junior staffer in Feinstein’s Senate office, but Feinstein could have weighed in just as effectively for Padilla in a private conversation with Newsom if getting him appointed was her only objective.
If Feinstein’s critics bite their tongues, they still could get their wish.
It didn’t make much sense for Feinstein to put her thumb on the scale in public, especially for a male candidate, given her own record of promoting and supporting female political leaders. That is, unless she was thinking about her own exit, as well.
It is not hard to imagine Feinstein letting Newsom know that she will let him off the hook by gifting him a second Senate seat to fill, thus allowing him two satisfy two competing power bases within the party. In doing so, she would not only demonstrate loyalty to her former employee but also would make sure that her own Senate seat is filled by another woman. As a result, she would strengthen her legacy as a champion of female political leadership even further.
All in all, not a bad swan song for a longtime leader’s final act.
To be clear, Feinstein has earned the right to finish the term to which she was elected. Whenever she chooses to step aside, she will leave a rich history as a pioneer, a trailblazer and one of California’s most admired leaders. It’s unfortunate that the skills that led her to such an impressive record of accomplishment — her penchant for collaboration and compromise — have fallen into such disfavor in today’s hyperpolarized environment and may prevent her from receiving the recognition she is due.
As Joe Biden prepares to take office with a similarly-declared goal of bipartisan cooperation, Feinstein could be a valuable ally in his efforts. Helping a new president navigate an unprecedented set of challenges during his first year in office might just be the way a longtime bridge-builder like Feinstein chooses to conclude her career before riding off into the sunset — at the time of her own choosing.
Dan Schnur teaches political communications at UC Berkeley, USC and Pepperdine. He hosts the weekly webinar “Politics in the Time of Coronavirus” for the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall.
