Replacing Dianne Feinstein: Rep. Adam Schiff Discusses Senate Involvement, Criminal Justice Reform, Bay Area Ties

SAN FRANCISCO (CGO) — There are still 13 months left before votes are cast in the race to replace veteran California Senator Dianna Feinstein, but the campaign is already gathering momentum.

On Wednesday, the day after Feinstein announced she would not seek re-election in 2024, ABC7 News spoke one-on-one with Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff about his own bid for the coveted seat.

Schiff, who represents Los Angeles and led the first impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, has proven himself to be a seasoned candidate who will get things done. He also criticized his record of criminal justice reform and his connections in the Bay Area (spoiler alert: he grew up in the East Bay).

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On running for the Senate and his rivals:

Schiff is one of two official Senate candidates, along with Democratic Rep. Kathy Porter of Orange County. However, it is expected to be a very crowded field for Democrats. Bay Area Congresswoman Barbara Lee has applied to run, and Congresswoman Ro Khanna is also reportedly considering running.

When asked how Schiff differs from other specialists, he called himself an experienced candidate who will achieve his goal.

“We are all progressives, but I think the question is who can really make progress, who has demonstrated that they are doing something on behalf of Californians,” he said.

Schiff, who was a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, pointed to his role in the impeachment trial of former President Trump and his role in the January 6 insurgency hearings.

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“I was at the center of these fights, and I think California deserves to have the next senator not on the sidelines, but at the center of these fights,” he said.

Asked about Porter, who described herself as an outsider candidate, he said, “I don’t really see it as anything like an insider or an outsider.”

“We are both members of Congress, we both serve the same delegation. I think I have the experience of achieving the goal,” he added.

Schiff pointed to his endorsement by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Porter, for his part, has the support of Senator Elizabeth Warren.

On his campaign message:

Schiff appears to be making the struggle to preserve democracy a hallmark of his campaign. He mentioned it several times at his campaign launch event and sells “Democracy Matters” coffee mugs on his campaign website.

When asked about this message, Schiff said: “My main message is really three parts: democracy, our economy and our planet. For me, these are existential problems.”

Schiff said the reason he believes democracy is in danger is because the economy is not working for Americans. “And it provides fertile ground for someone to come in and promise that only they can fix it,” Schiff said. “So at the heart of my campaign is solving the real problems of people paying their bills and keeping a roof over their heads.”

“It’s really the bread and butter of my campaign, but also the planet is the big existential issue of all of them,” he added. “And if we don’t aggressively attack climate change, then none of the other issues will matter much in the end.”

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About working through the aisle:

Whoever wins the Senate race will replace Feinstein, who was known as an extreme Democratic centrist – a man who worked across the aisle.

Asked if he sees himself in this vein, Schiff replied: “I definitely see myself getting things done.”

He pointed to his work with Republican Congressman Devin Nunez on the House Intelligence Committee. “We decided, without even discussing it, that we were going to share,” he said. “We will fight for Trump, Russia and Ukraine, but we will also make sure that the committee’s work is done and our national security is protected.”

“This is the kind of leadership I want to present to the Senate,” he continued. “Do not allow opposition when it comes to protecting women’s reproductive freedom or fighting gun violence, but also where we can find common ground.”

On criminal justice reform and the death penalty:

While Schiff has become a visible target on the right (Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy recently stripped Schiff of his role on the House Intelligence Committee), Schiff may also face criticism from California progressives.

In 2021, several criminal and social justice groups wrote an open letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom urging him not to appoint Schiff as state attorney general, stating that he supported a tough crime policy that contributed to mass incarceration.

ABC7 News asked Schiff to respond to those questioning his record of criminal justice reform.

“I think, like President Biden, in the 90s, when I was in the legislature, I had one view of how we should try to solve the criminal justice problems that we face. I would like to think that 25 years later my point of view has changed. and I found out that some of the policies of the 90s didn’t work,” Schiff replied.

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He went on to say that he was proud of some of the work he did in the 90s, including the Schiff Crime Prevention Act in 2000. police program,” he explained. “So, I’m proud of my track record, but yeah, I wouldn’t agree with all the politicians of the 1990s.”

Schiff also stated that he no longer supported the death penalty.

Some of Schiff’s critics have pointed to his support for the “Thin Blue Line Act” of 2017, which would have extended the use of the federal death penalty to people convicted of murder or law enforcement harassment.

“I don’t support the death penalty,” Schiff said. “I supported him for a while for a narrow category of offenders who killed police officers or killed children.”

He said he changed his position after seeing the extent to which DNA evidence demonstrated that a number of people had been wrongly convicted and that the death penalty had been disproportionately applied to people of color.

“As long as this is the case, I cannot support the death penalty,” he said.

On his connections in the Bay Area:

Although Schiff is known as a congressman from Los Angeles, it turns out he has strong connections in the Bay Area.

Schiff grew up in the East Bay and still has many relatives, including his brother, who live here.

“I am proud of the Monte Vista Mustang,” he said. “So, I lived in the Alamo-Danville area from fifth grade until I actually graduated from college.”

Schiff said he had a Bar Mitzvah at the Isaiah Temple in Lafayette. So hello to Isaiah Temple,” he said.

“But it’s great to be back home,” Schiff added, “and I think it really helps me understand a lot of the neighborhoods and a lot of the problems in the Bay Area, even though I’m angeleno.”

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