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Meet the Press Blog

From the journalists at NBC News and the NBC News Political Unit

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., attends a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 26, 2023.
Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., attends a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 26, 2023.Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images file

California Democrat Barbara Lee expected to announce Senate bid later this month

Her entry into the race would be pegged to Black History Month.

By Ali Vitali

California Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee is planning to announce her Senate run by the end of this month, a source familiar confirms to NBC News. 

Her entry into the race would be pegged to Black History Month, a reminder that — if elected — Lee would be the only Black woman serving in the U.S. Senate since former California Senator Kamala Harris left to be Vice President.

The news comes as two of her House colleagues — Reps. Adam Schiff and Katie Porter — have already announced. Schiff is a prolific fundraiser and favorite of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (who said she would endorse him if Sen. Dianne Feinstein retires), while Porter has notched the endorsement of Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

The Washington Post first reported on Lee's potential timeline.

Feinstein still has not officially said whether or not she will run for re-election in 2024, but the 89-year-old had just $10,000 in her campaign account at the end of 2022.




Ali Vitali

Ali Vitali is a Capitol Hill correspondent for NBC News, based in Washington.