SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Democratic Party officials canceled Saturday night’s event during the state convention “for the safety and security of delegates” after protesters called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
The California Democratic Party is meeting in Sacramento this weekend to consider candidate endorsements ahead of the March primary. This includes the state’s battleground state Senate race, which features four Democrats, including three incumbent House members.
On Saturday afternoon, the rally was interrupted multiple times by demonstrators demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. Party authorities have beefed up security for the weekend’s convention, requiring participants to undergo scans and bag checks before entering the convention hall.
After the afternoon session, a large number of demonstrators gathered in the hall. Sacramento police closed some roads near the convention center, but quickly reopened them.
Shortly after the vote ended the party’s support Saturday evening, Democratic Party spokeswoman Shelley Yang said the evening’s events had been canceled.
“Due to circumstances beyond our control, and for the safety and security of our delegates and convention attendees, we are canceling tonight’s caucus, Vote Fest, which will be held at the Hospitality Suite and Convention Center. ” said Yang.
The cancellation cast a shadow over the strong performance of U.S. Representative Barbara Lee, who was the top vote-getter among delegates. Although no candidate received the 60% of votes needed to win her party’s formal support, the result was a clear finish over rivals who had previously outperformed her in the polls. It was a confidence booster for her camp.
Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Lee, and former tech executive Lexi Reese joined the party on Saturday in hopes of securing enough support to win the party’s official endorsement. Attended the convention. They are all vying for the seat currently held by Sen. LaFonza Butler, who was appointed when longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein died in September. Butler is not running, and she plans to step down when her term ends in early 2025.
Schiff is widely seen as a front-runner, leading candidates in fundraising and boasting a number of influential endorsements, including the coveted blessing of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Polls generally have Mr. Porter in second place and Mr. Lee in third place among Democrats, with a large portion of voters still undecided.
But on Saturday night, Lee emerged with just under 41.5% of the vote, enough to narrowly edge out Schiff, who had won 40.18% in the party’s preliminary results. Porter was third with just over 16%. Just over 2% of delegates chose not to support a candidate. Reese only received 3 votes.
The results were not surprising in a convention that tends to draw the Democratic Party’s most progressive members. Saturday was no different, with demonstrators calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip highlighting how the Israel-Hamas war has divided some within the Democratic Party.
Mr. Lee, known for being the only vote against war in Afghanistan in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, is in the best position to benefit from the rift. Participants cheered when Lee called for a ceasefire to conclude his remarks in the afternoon session.
“She really showed courage,” said delegate Howard Egerman, who said he would vote for Lee to gain party support.
Schiff’s second-place finish was due in part to the support of elected officials who appoint many delegates to the convention.
Delegate Stacey Fortner said she loves and appreciates Lee but won’t support her in the Senate because of her age. Lee is 77 years old, and she worries Fortner won’t be in the Senate long enough to gain the seniority needed for her leadership position.
Fortner said she voted for Schiff, 63.
“I’m tired of young senators from California. I want strong members in the Senate. I want committee chairs. And I’m not going to wait 20 years to get one,” she said.
An endorsement from the state Democratic Party could boost a campaign in a competitive primary, but because the party’s delegates tend to be more liberal, it doesn’t necessarily reflect how a broad swath of voters feels about the race. It doesn’t show how you feel. The state party endorsed then-state Sen. Kevin de Leon in place of Feinstein in the 2018 general election, but it did little to boost Feinstein’s candidacy. Feinstein easily won the general election.
Still, in a competitive statewide race, every bit of support helps.
“Even if you don’t have the support, it’s a power multiplier to have the support of some of the most loyal and active Democrats in the state,” Schiff said. “They’re totally into it. They’re knocking on doors, sending postcards, texting, they’re kind of the heartthrob of the party.”
Earlier in the day, demonstrators disrupted a forum for U.S. Senate candidates. A spokesperson for the protest movement said the demonstrators were nearly 100 young people, workers and Democratic Party volunteers. Ayelet Hassachar, one of the leaders of the ceasefire demonstrators, said they disrupted the rally because “most Democratic politicians are not respecting the very strong demands” of voters for a ceasefire.
“What’s happening in Gaza right now is genocide, and the Democratic Party is complicit in it,” Hassacher said.
Bassem Mane, who is of Palestinian descent and attended Saturday’s rally wearing a “Team Palestine” T-shirt, left the afternoon meeting shaking his head about the protests. He said he believes what’s happening on both sides of the war is “disgusting” but doesn’t like protesters disrupting the convention.
“You can protest all you want, but not like this,” he said.