Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) urged former Vice President Joe Biden to run for president in 2020, saying he would be the ideal candidate to face off against President Trump.
“Joe was chairman of the Judiciary [Committee] when he came to this place, I’ve watched him as vice president, I’ve seen him operate, I’ve seen him perform,” Feinstein told Politico. “He brings a level of experience and seniority which I think is really important.”
Feinstein added that she hadn’t talked to Biden to press him to run, saying “that’s just my view.”
Biden and Feinstein worked together during Biden’s years representing Delaware in the Senate. He endorsed her 2018 reelection bid, praising her as “tenacious” and “accomplished.”
The Democratic primary is expected to be crowded, possibly fielding upwards of 30 candidates, including Feinstein’s California colleague Sen. Kamala Harris, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Cory Booker (N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Rep Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) and others.
Biden has led in some early national and statewide polls and would be considered one of the field’s frontrunners should he formally enter the race. While the former vice president has strong appeal among the base, Democrats wonder if a white, septuagenarian male would be the best candidate for a party increasingly defined by women and people of color.
Biden had previously said he would make a decision by the end of 2018, but allies have said he may take more time.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/423689-feinstein-urges-biden-to-run-in-2020