Oprah Winfrey’s name has been brought up as a possible replacement for Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., if the 89-year-old congressman retires before her term ends next year, reports reported this week.
Questions have been swirling about Feinstein’s health and ability to serve in the Senate since she returned to Capitol Hill this month after shingles forced her to stay home in California for 10 weeks.
Feinstein has vowed to retire at the end of her current term, but the Associated Press pointed out that several names have already come into play should the California Democrat step down early. One of them is reportedly billionaire TV presenter Winfrey.
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An Associated Press report said talk show star Oprah Winfrey was among the names for Gov. Gavin Newsom to succeed Senator Dianne Feinstein if the 89-year-old congressman retires before her term is up. (Getty Images)
After facing criticism from some progressive groups for failing to nominate a black woman to replace Vice President Kamala Harris, Newsom has vowed to do so if he gets another chance to nominate someone for the Senate .
Early rumors suggest he may approach Rep. Barbara Lee of California, who is running for Feinstein’s seat in a high-profile race against Democratic Reps Adam Schiff and Katie Porter in the California House of Representatives. Lee has garnered the support of several leading left-wing lawmakers, including Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.
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Representative Barbara Lee is up against Democratic Representatives Adam Schiff and Katie Porter in the Senate in a high-profile race to succeed Feinstein in 2025.
However, there seems to be concern that Newsom could tip the balance in Lee’s favor if he votes for her.
Winfrey’s potential political ambitions caused a stir in the run-up to the 2020 election, with many speculating she might launch her own bid for the White House.
However, she has ruled this out multiple times, including in a November 2018 speech campaigning for two-time Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.
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Feinstein returned to the Senate earlier this month after being out for 10 weeks with shingles. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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“I’m not here because I want to set up a grandstand, but because I’m thinking about running for office myself,” Winfrey said at the time. “I don’t want to run. I’m not trying to test any waters, I don’t want to venture into those waters.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom and Winfrey representatives for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
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