WASHINGTON - California Rep. Adam Schiff, who became a target of GOP wrath for leading the first impeachment of then-president Donald Trump, Thursday launched his candidacy for the Senate seat that fellow Democrat Dianne Feinstein now occupies.
"We're in the fight of our lives - a fight I'm ready to lead as California's next U.S. Senator," he tweeted.
Schiff joins Democrat Rep. Katie Porter in the 2024 race even as Feinstein, currently the longest-serving woman senator, has yet to announce whether she'll seek re-election.
Feinstein not ready to announce her plans
It's likely an announcement from Feinstein, 89, isn't coming any time soon. She told news website Raw Story that she does not have any plans to announce her intentions until 2024.
"I need a little bit of time, so it's not this year," Feinstein told the news website.
Porter was the first to announce her Senate bid and challenge Feinstein. The Southern California progressive was elected to the House in 2018 and reelected last fall, winning by a narrow margin of three points.
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Countdown to 2024: These candidates have already announced Senate plans for next election
Schiff launch comes after McCarthy blocked him from Intel committee
The California representative, 62, has served in the House since 2001.
He served as chair of the House Intelligence Committee in the last Congress when Democrats controlled the chamber and was a member of the special committee created to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy blocked Schiff this week from serving on the Intelligence Committee in the 118th Congress, saying the congressman lied to the public and is not fit to serve on a committee that deals with classified information.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Feinstein Senate seat draws challenge from California Rep. Adam Schiff
