Most California voters want Sen. Dianne Feinstein to resign

The majority of California voters — 63% — want Sen. Dianne Feinstein to resign before the end of her term because of her failing physical and mental health, according to a new poll.

In the Emerson College/Inside California Politics poll that was released Monday, 37% of voters in the Golden State wanted Ms. Feinstein to serve the rest of her term.

The 89-year-old California Democrat has represented the state in the Senate for more than 30 years and is not seeking reelection in 2024. Resigning early would allow Gov. Gavin Newsom to immediately appoint a replacement to serve the rest of her term, a move liberal Democrats increasingly clamor for.

Older voters were more likely than younger voters to say Ms. Feinstein should resign, with 68% of voters who are over 50 saying she should, though a majority of 58% of voters who are under age 50 said the same.

Ms. Feinstein’s overall approval rating was 22% with 48% disapproving of her performance as a senator.

Ms. Feinstein’s monthslong absence from the Senate earlier this year while suffering from shingles created a stalemate for several of President Biden’s judicial nominees who lacked bipartisan support for confirmation. Ms. Feinstein’s vote will be crucial for Senate Democrats’ one-seat majority in the months ahead during spending negotiations with House Republicans.

Questions have also swirled for years about Ms. Feinstein’s cognitive health and ability to continue serving in the Senate.

Her office did not respond to a request for comment. She has consistently rebuffed calls for her to resign.

Several Democrats have lined up to fill Ms. Feinstein’s seat, foreshadowing a competitive primary. The poll showed there are two front-runners, but a plurality of voters remain undecided.

When asked who they plan to vote for in the March 2024 primary, 47% of California voters said they were undecided, 15% said Rep. Adam Schiff, 14% said Rep. Katie Porter and 6% picked Rep. Barbara Lee.

The Emerson College/Inside California Politics survey was conducted June 4-7 among 1,056 registered California voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points.