How Gaza ceasefire became a focal point in Barbara Lee’s US Senate campaign
Al Jazeera
Lee’s supporters hope her advocacy for ending the Gaza war will help her in California’s Super Tuesday primaries.
Washington, DC – Three days after the attacks on September 11, 2001, the United States House of Representatives convened to authorise a military response, with legislation that would serve as the legal basis for the invasion of Afghanistan and the broader “war on terror”.
The vote was overwhelming: 420 to one. The sole dissenter was Representative Barbara Lee, a California Democrat.
On Tuesday, Lee — at the age of 77 — will face possibly the greatest electoral test of her career when California holds a primary for its open Senate seat.
The congresswoman is running in that race on her credentials as an antiwar candidate. This time, however, her focus is on achieving a ceasefire in Gaza — a position she says distinguishes her from the rest of the field.
Lee is in competition against more than 20 other candidates, including prominent Democratic representatives like Adam Schiff and Katie Porter. The stakes are high: Schiff, Lee and Porter have all opted not to run for reelection in the House, in order to focus on their Senate prospects.
