Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland on Tuesday officially announced her campaign for the U.S. Senate seat to be vacated by Dianne Feinstein's retirement.
Lee, 76, has served in Congress since 1998 and also served in the state Legislature. The Democrat currently representing California's 12th District released a YouTube video to make the announcement.
"To do nothing has never been an option for me. When my high school said cheerleaders couldn’t be Black, I took them on. I worked with the NAACP, and earned my spot as the school’s first black cheerleader," Lee said in the video. "When there weren’t protections for survivors of domestic violence, I wrote California’s first Violence Against Women Act. When it was legal to discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community, I wrote the Hate Crimes Reduction Act. … I don’t quit. I don’t give up. That’s not in my DNA.…
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"When you stand on the side of justice, you don’t quit if they don’t give you a seat at the table," Lee added. "You bring a folding chair for everyone, and they are here to stay."
Lee was the first Black woman elected to the state Assembly, state Senate, and Congress from Northern California, according to the news release announcing her campaign. She also is the first African American member to serve as Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS) and, as co-chair of the Policy and Steering Committee.
She is the highest-ranking appointed Black woman in Democratic leadership.
