WASHINGTON _ California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein has decided not to seek her state party's endorsement, calling for party unity ahead of the November election.
Feinstein and state Sen. Kevin de Leon, a fellow Democrat, advanced to the general election after finishing 1-2 in the state's top-two primary last month. The four-term incumbent wrote in an email Tuesday addressed to party leaders _ that also appeared to also be sent to her campaign fundraising list _ calling for no formal endorsement. For the first time in nearly 30 years, Feinstein did not win the party's backing prior to the June 5 primary.
"Republicans would like nothing more than to see Democrats fighting each other, and a formal endorsement in our race will divide our party at the exact time we need to come together and focus on the general election," she wrote. "You can help prevent that by voting no endorsement."
California Democratic Party leaders will meet July 13-15 for their executive board meeting in Oakland, where they are expected to determine if the party will make a post-primary endorsement.
State party chairman Eric Bauman requested that Democratic candidates not seek the party's backing if two Democrats advanced to the general election, according to a party memo about the post-primary endorsement process.
De Leon's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether he would still seek the state party's endorsement.
Feinstein topped a crowded 32-candidate primary field June 5, winning 44 percent, or 2.9 million votes. De Leon finished behind her with 12 percent, or 804,000 votes.
The incumbent has a sizable financial advantage in the race. She ended the pre-primary reporting period May 16 with more than $7 million in the bank, to $694,000 for de Leon.
