Diane Feinstein campaign responds to endorsement snub

Sen. Dianne Feinstein's reelection campaign dismissed the snub she received Saturday from the California Democratic Party, which endorsed her challenger, state Sen. Kevin de Leon of Los Angeles, in the November election.

In a fundraising email Sunday titled "yesterday doesn't change this...", the Feinstein for Senate 2018 campaign committee wrote, "Dianne won more than 70 percent of the Democratic vote in the (June) primary, but now her opponent and his allies are working to overturn the will of millions of California voters."

More: California Democratic Party snubs Feinstein, endorses rival

De Leon received 217 votes from party members at their meeting in Oakland, or 65 percent of the total cast. Feinstein, who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992 and at age 85 is the oldest member of the body, received only 22 votes, or 7 percent of the total. The remaining 28 percent of votes preferred no endorsement.

Party rules require at least 60 percent of all votes cast to earn an official endorsement.

"Earning the endorsement of so many leaders and activists of the California Democratic Party isn't just an honor and a privilege; today's vote is a clear-eyed rejection of politics as usual in Washington, D.C.," de Leon said in a statement. 

"We have presented Californians with the first real alternative to the worn-out Washington playbook in a quarter century. As the California Democratic Party's endorsed candidate, I renew my call for a debate."

Feinstein finished well ahead of de Leon in the June U.S. Senate open primary election with 44 percent of the total vote, compared with 12 percent for de Leon. As the top two vote getters, they will face off again in November's general election.