California Democratic Senate Candidates Face Calls for Cease-Fire at Party Convention

The top Democratic candidates running for U.S. Senate in California made their case to hundreds of delegates Saturday in Sacramento, at a party convention marked by protests calling for party leaders to support a cease-fire in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

The party’s endorsing convention in Sacramento provided a key opportunity for the candidates to rally the party faithful ahead of the March 5 primary. But the Senate hopefuls’ plans to deliver their stump speeches at an afternoon forum ran headlong into protests demanding an end to Israel’s attacks on Gaza in retaliation for the Oct. 7 massacre of Israelis by Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group. Appeals for a cease-fire have divided the party’s elected officials from many in its activist base.

At around 7 p.m., the party announced the cancellation of the remainder of Saturday’s schedule, including the meetings of the Arab American and Democrats for Israel caucuses.

In the afternoon, when Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Katie Porter delivered their closing remarks, they were drowned out by chants of “cease-fire now” by dozens of protesters inside the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center, many of whom waved signs supporting Rep. Barbara Lee.

“It’s important for them to hear that these are the people that are going to be electing them, and that this is what we want — a cease-fire now,” said Seema Badar, a protestor and proxy voter at the convention.

Lexi Reese, a former tech executive, ended her speech as the protests swelled in front of the convention stage.

The chants turned to cheers when Lee, whose district includes Oakland and Berkeley, took the stage.

“I was the only one who voted against the authorization to use force right after the 9/11 horrific events,” said Lee. “And yes, I am calling for a cease-fire now.”

The war offered Lee an opportunity to bolster her campaign, which has lagged in the polls and struggled to raise the funds needed to compete on TV with Porter and Schiff.

Lee is the only member of California’s congressional delegation who supports a cease-fire in Gaza. After the candidate forum, hundreds of protesters rallied across the street from the convention in front of the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium before returning to the convention center.

Party delegates were scheduled to vote Saturday night on an endorsement in the Senate race, though the splintered field makes it unlikely that any of the candidates will reach the 60% threshold necessary for a party backing.

Still, the party stamp of approval was crucial for the candidates to vie for, said Paul Mitchell, vice president of Political Data Inc., a voting research firm.

“That signal of a party endorsement has just really skyrocketed in importance. It’s worth, in a U.S. Senate race, the equivalent of millions of dollars,” Mitchell said. “That’s why you see a lot of out-front jockeying with signs and T-shirts and even behind-the-scenes jockeying by these candidates to try and earn these endorsements.”

Outside of the main convention hall, the candidates spoke with delegates in small gatherings and individual conversations in the hallways, tailoring their pitches to specific Democratic caucuses representing women, seniors and rural voters.

In an afternoon forum, the four candidates fielded questions from politics professors Bradford Jones of UC Davis and Joice Chang from Cal Poly Humboldt. They also directly addressed the crowd of delegates.

Porter centered her remarks on a vow to fight corporate interests in D.C. The Orange County congresswoman also said her electoral experience in a politically divided part of California shows she can attract the moderate suburban voters key to the party’s national coalition.

“I have won three tough races and I know how to message in a way that will help us win a durable Democratic majority who will help us be able to win up and down the ballot,” Porter said.

Schiff spoke to delegates about his clashes with former President Donald Trump. Schiff, who represents the San Fernando Valley, helped lead the first Trump impeachment inquiry and later served on the House Jan. 6 committee.

“When we had a corrupt president of the United States, I investigated him, I impeached him,” Schiff said. “And when he engaged in insurrection, I helped expose him so that the Justice Department could prosecute him.”

Reese, a former executive at Google and Gusto, began her remarks asking delegates to participate in a breathing exercise, hoping to ease the tension in the hall. She told the crowd that she supported a cease-fire.

“I already said I supported it. I already supported it, so if you want to support someone who supports you … ,” she said as chants from the protesters drowned her out.

Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks, who took to the stage in an effort to quell the demonstrations, said in a statement that “a small number of non-Delegate protesters circumvented venue security and disrupted the program.”

“They were heard and following a closing statement by the final candidate, the program was concluded and all attendees exited the venue,” Hicks said in the statement. “We look forward to the continuation of a successful Convention this afternoon with voting on endorsements, caucus meetings, and hospitality events.”

The raucous reception from party delegates, a group that is more progressive than the overall Democratic electorate, was a fitting greeting for the candidates hoping to fill the seat held until recently by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein until her death on Sept. 29. At the party’s 1990 convention, Feinstein was shouted down by delegates who opposed her support for the death penalty. Months later, she featured the jeering episode in a campaign ad in her run for governor.