Democrat Diane Feinstein is one step closer to re-election to sixth term in the U.S. Senate after winning the most votes in California’s unusual primary election process Tuesday.
The 84-year-old former mayor of San Francisco easily outpolled her younger opponent, Democratic state Senator Kevin de Leon, in the state’s so-called “jungle primary,” in which the top-two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the November general election. The scenario could mean that Feinstein could face off against the 51-year-old de Leon.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, himself a former mayor of San Francisco, will advance to the November general election, where he will face Republican businessman John Cox, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump. They are seeking to replace term-limited Governor Jerry Brown.
California’s top-two primary election process could determine whether Democrats gain the 23 seats needed to gain control of the U.S. House of Representatives. The party had targeted at least seven congressional districts in the western state won by Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, but numerous Democratic candidates ran for those seats, leading to concerns that Democratic votes would be diluted and allow for the top two Republicans to advance to the general election.
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