Pros And Cons Of Kevin De Leon

Kevin de Leon faces an uphill battle in the coming California Senate election. The incumbent, Dianne Feinstein, has been a staple of California politics for over thirty years. She also has a massive fundraising advantage and is herself one of the wealthiest people in the Senate. She currently holds a 29point lead in the polls for the primary, de Leon nonetheless can mount a challenge in the general election because of California's nonpartisan blanket primary, or jungle primary. In this system, all candidates are listed on the same primary ballot, regardless of party affiliation which means that de Leon can be the 2nd highest vote-getting Democrat in the primary and still run directly against Feinstein in the general election. Trump's election

With 3/10 of its population born outside of the United States, California is a very diverse community. With high tax burdens and union membership, and low gun ownership, it is also one of the most progressive states. In a poll taken in early February, Feinstein was leading de Leon 46% to 17%, largely due to her advantage in name recognition and fundraising. That margin has already begun to close with Feinstein now leading 42% to 16%. While de Leon is unlikely to catch Feinstein before the primary in June, in a two-person race in the general election, California's voter demographics and trends should benefit de Leon. In 2012, 68% of voters said that immigrants should be offered legal status, while 20% said they should be deported. Feinstein won 64% of the vote of those who supported legalization, and 27% of those who said undocumented immigrants should be deported. But the number of people who support a path to citizenship has risen to 82% in 2017. In 2012, Feinstein won 67% of the Latino vote in 2012 against Republican Elizabeth Enken. (with 22% of the voters Latino), as well as 88% of the African-American and 83% of the Asian vote. De Leon's strong appeal to minority voters, who tend to support more progressive policies and candidates, threatens Feinstein's base. Latinos make up about 38% of the state's population; if de Leon can get out the vote to them, in a general election between Feinstein and de Leon, conservative voters will

With a net worth of at least 40 million, she has already raised $13 million to de Leon's paltry 433,000, so she can simply outspend de Leon on the way to reelection. She is also one of the most recognizable people in the Senate, and has a strong track record that many moderate Democrats can get behind. The #Me Too movement starting in late 2017 also helps Feinstein's candidacy. Electing a man to replace Feinstein, who was one of the first powerful women in politics, could be seen by some as a backwards step in the fight against the male-dominated American legislature. Although Feinstein did not win the endorsement of the California Democrats, she has powerful friends, including Kamala Harris, a known progressive, who have endorsed her. Feinstein can also point to her many years of experience in Washington, working on issues from gun reform to her support of the Affordable Care