In the California primary elections, Rep. Barbara Lee's bid for the U.S. Senate seat ended in defeat against top-two finishers Rep. Adam Schiff and former baseball player Steve Garvey, marking a significant turn in her long political career. Despite her progressive campaign and being a beloved figure in her Oakland district, Lee struggled against her competitors. Schiff, who opposed calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, a key point in Lee's campaign, won Alameda County, an area Lee had represented since 1990. The financial demands of campaigning in California, the most expensive state for elections, were cited as a key reason for Lee's defeat. Lateefah Simon, a BART Director, emerged as the frontrunner to succeed Lee in her congressional seat, symbolically receiving the baton from Lee in a gesture of passing on the legacy. Lee's loss was characterized as an embarrassing end to her career by some, highlighting the harsh realities of political campaigns where even widespread local support and a progressive platform may not be enough against formidable opposition and financial constraints.
Rep. Barbara Lee, who lost the California primary to fellow Rep. Adam Schiff for #casen seat, told me she has conceded. “I called to congratulate him which means that I have conceded the race.” Schiff said last night that Lee had yet to concede the race. Lee wouldn’t say…
Schiff is next. Rep. Barbara Lee Ends Congressional Career After Defeat in Senate Primary https://t.co/cUWKuOps5k
Winning a Senate race was always going to be an uphill battle for Rep. Barbara Lee. Ultimately, money was the key reason for her campaign’s demise in the most expensive state to run. https://t.co/fMLXMHwO9E
The California congresswoman was running for a U.S. Senate seat. Ultimately, money was the key reason for her campaign’s demise in the most expensive state to run, Joe Garofoli writes. https://t.co/Z0agfgcbWB
Barbara Lee is beloved in her Oakland district — and that backfired on her Senate bid "Ultimately, money was the key reason for her campaign’s demise in the most expensive state to run." By @joegarofoli https://t.co/938TZA30tN
Adam Schiff even won Alameda County (Oakland) which Barbara Lee had represented since 1990. Schiff adamantly opposed a ceasefire in Gaza, while Lee made a ceasefire the centerpiece of her campaign. Strange and inglorious way for the 77-year-old Lee to end her political career
Unfortunately for @BarbaraLeeForCA , in politics, it often takes money to make history. @RepBarbaraLee Lee is beloved in her Oakland district — and that backfired on her #CaSenate bid https://t.co/XvJ82zYlQ4
Barbara Lee, famously the sole vote against the Afghanistan war in 2001, got crushed by Adam Schiff in the CA Senate primary, despite being the candidate most vocally calling for a "ceasefire" in Gaza. Schiff vocally *rejected* ceasefire calls. An embarrassing end to Lee's career
Supporters held a joint watch party for U.S. Representative Barbara Lee and Lateefah Siman, who's running to succeed Lee, in Downtown Oakland on Tuesday night. https://t.co/fyYhYPhofU
Female politicians representing the East Bay sang their praises to Rep. @BarbaraLeeForCA at an election night party on Tues. Lee lost her bid for Senate against top-two finishers Rep. Adam Schiff and former baseball player Steve Garvey. #SuperTuesday2024 https://t.co/qpZDJaNXgo https://t.co/WYHiEN3GLO
A literal passing of the blue baton Tuesday between @RepBarbaraLee and the front runner to succeed her @lateefahsimon https://t.co/5W4PAoSjiY
Front-runners emerged in two rarely open Bay Area congressional seats, while Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi was comfortably ahead in San Francisco Tuesday night. Lateefah Simon was leading in the race for an open Oakland-centered East Bay House seat. https://t.co/jVduNZ7iMv
Live election updates: At Barbara Lee’s Senate campaign headquarters right before polls closed, Lee handed the baton to Lateefah Simon, the BART board director who is the front-runner to replace her in the House. Simon responded with a powerful speech. https://t.co/h4kU3J8WBx
My first stop on election night was at @BarbaraLeeForCA's headquarters in Oakland. She emotionally passed the baton to @lateefahsimon, her chosen successor in the House Read more here in our LIVE BLOG: https://t.co/E4vrbWbEqo @politico https://t.co/exS9VJugrK
Less than an hour before polls closed, Rep. @BarbaraLeeForCA addressed supporters and the press at her downtown Oakland campaign headquarters. “This has been quite a phenomenal multiracial, multigenerational progressive movement that we have put together throughout the state." https://t.co/TdVlmqAqGY
BART Director Lateefah Simon steadily leads primary race for Rep. Barbara Lee’s East Bay congressional seat https://t.co/aBZDUa7anY
Lateefah Simon holds up the baton passed to her by Rep. Barbara Lee after they addressed volunteers and staff at their campaign headquarters as election results rolled in in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday. Lee is running for the California U.S. Senate seat. 📷: @CAGisMe https://t.co/3ht9nU7Dym
California primary election live updates: Rep. Barbara Lee, polling in fourth place in the U.S. Senate race, remained optimistic Tuesday night as she greeted volunteers still making calls in the final hour of the campaign at her Oakland headquarters. https://t.co/LiZuqDkyCg
What went wrong for Barbara Lee? KRON4's #ElectionNight panel weighs in on why polls indicate the Bay Area progressive rep's campaign failed to catch on. https://t.co/Hxf3JkRTeb