(Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
- Rep. Michael M. Honda is continuing to roll out internal polling and endorsements to scare off potential challenges from fellow Democrats.
Honda announced Monday the endorsements of California’s two Democratic senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, who said in separate statements that Silicon Valley needed Honda’s leadership.
The latest endorsements come a week after Honda released an internal poll that found him well ahead in a hypothetical top-two primary against two possible challengers, a Republican who lost to him in 2012 and former Obama administration official Ro Khanna, who is rumored to be eyeing Honda’s seat. The news also comes two months after Honda was endorsed by President Barack Obama and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California.
Khanna has not announced his plans yet, but his million-dollar war chest is enough to push Honda to play defense aggressively early in the cycle. The state’s top-two primary format means Honda could face Khanna in the general election, a scenario that ended the careers of two Democratic incumbents in 2012.
