U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee may be trailing in the race for the U.S. Senate seat once held by Dianne Feinstein, but on Monday, she picked up an endorsement that could provide some momentum as she chases the frontrunner, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff.
Burbank Mayor Konstantine Anthony, who withdrew his endorsement of Schiff in October over the congressman’s support of Israel in its ongoing war against Hamas, switched allegiances and instead backed Lee, “citing her enduring pro-peace foreign policy record,” Lee’s office said in a news release.
Lee, the only member of Congress who voted against issuing a “blank check for endless war” in the days after Sept. 11, 2001, backs a cease-fire in the region, something Anthony also supports.
“[Schiff’s] silence on a cease-fire is what really drew me to consider” no longer backing him, Anthony told The Washington Post. “And the continued silence is why I endorsed Barbara Lee.”
While Schiff remains in the lead, Anthony’s shift to supporting Lee may be hurtful to Schiff, as the congressman is a Burbank resident who gained Anthony’s endorsement at the beginning of the year.
Even though Anthony and Schiff have worked together to support “women, LGBTQ individuals, gun violence prevention activists, and labor unions,” as the mayor said in his October statement, he could no longer support Schiff “in good conscience” amid the war in Gaza.
“If my endorsement has any power whatsoever,” Anthony told The Post, “I’m hoping it sheds a light not only on what is happening in our country, but what our country is doing in other countries.”
A spokeswoman for Schiff’s campaign issued a response to the announcement.
“Adam is proud to have the endorsement of nearly 65 percent of California’s Democratic congressional delegation, over 275 current and former California elected officials, and nearly a dozen statewide labor unions,” the spokeswoman said. “He continues to build momentum as he campaigns across the state. Adam supports Israel’s right to defend itself and supports humanitarian pauses to encourage the release of hostages and allow critical aid to reach civilians in Gaza.”