Katie Porter's Senate Bid Sparks Debate Over Timing: 'Disrespectful'

Democratic Representative Katie Porter of California is facing backlash online for the timing her 2024 Senate bid announcement.

In a video posted on Twitter Tuesday, Porter announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate.

"California needs a warrior in the Senate," she said in a tweet. "Today, I'm proud to announce my candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2024."

Porter, 48, who was first elected to the House in 2018, will be running for Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein's, 89, long-held seat.

This comes ahead of any announcement from Feinstein on whether she will seek re-election or retire next year.

The Senator has faced questions about her 2024 plans, especially following the decision of California Representative and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, 82, to step down from senior Democratic leadership.

Calls for Feinstein's retirement have grown in recent years amid reporters of her declining memory.

While some welcomed Porter's move, insisting Feinstein should step down, others blasted the Congresswoman for being "disrespectful."

Democratic strategist Keith Edwards said Porter was "pretty disrespectful" to announce her Senate bid ahead of Feinstein's decision.

"It's pretty disrespectful to announce ahead of Feinstein's decision," Edwards said in a tweet, adding that Porter's video is "one of the worst campaign launch videos I've ever seen."

Edwards later said in a Twitter reply that while he thinks Feinstein should retire, he thinks "it would have been nice to let her say that before looking like you're pushing her out."

The congresswoman was also called out for announcing her Senate bid immediately after raising millions of dollars for her House campaign.

Porter just won re-election for California's 47th congressional district in November 2022. She raised $25 million to defeat her Republican challenger, according to Open Secrets.

Others maintain that it is more disrespectful for Feinstein to continue to hold office, suggesting that the Senator has overstayed her time in Congress.

Former Democratic Oklahoma House candidate Gregory Hardin said it's disrespectful for Feinstein to keep running for office when "there isn't a single quote from her in the last decade that sounds like she should be doing any job at all."

"Anyone who publicly defends Diane Feinstein for staying in office this long or is actively supporting the idea of her running against should be put on a list of people to not let have a job in politics ever again," he said in a tweet.

Trial Lawyer Max Kennerly argued it's "far more 'disrespectful'" for a nearly 90-year-old woman "who has been the subject of extensive coverage about their mental decline" to act as though her Senate seat is "sinecure."

"California and the country deserve better than guessing about Feinstein's intentions," he said in a tweet responding to Edwards.

Others online were aligned with Kennerly, suggesting the "young, driven and smart" Porter should replace Feinstein.

Feinstein responded to Porter's announcement, but would not confirm whether she will retire.

"Everyone is of course welcome to throw their hat in the ring, and I will make an announcement concerning my plans for 2024 at the appropriate time," she said in a statement to Newsweek.

She added that she is currently focused on "ensuring California has all the resources it needs to cope with the devastating storms slamming the state and leaving more than a dozen dead."

Feinstein was first elected to Congress in 1992 and is currently the oldest sitting member of the Senate. She has previously served as the chair of the intelligence and judiciary committees.