Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) said in a recent piece profiling her Democratic colleague Sen. Kamala Harris (Calif.) that it is "too early" to tell whether the potential 2020 candidate would make a good president.
Feinstein's remarks came in a Politico piece published Thursday and titled, "Kamala Harris keeps 'em guessing." The piece reflects on Harris' first year in the Senate and how she has become a rising star in the Democratic party, describing the senator as a "serious-minded lawmaker" and as someone who "bones up on policy and can engage on substance."
While the junior senator from California has been floated as a potential 2020 contender since early 2017, Feinstein said it is "too early" for her to say whether her colleague would be a good president. She called Harris her "good friend" and said she would like to see her stick around the Senate because "there’s a certain degree of staying power" required to succeed there.
The profile piece also highlighted Harris' voting record, including a couple of votes that bucked the party leadership. Harris briefly angered Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) last month when she undercut other Democrats looking to strike a deal on immigration.
"She did some damage with her colleagues," said one Democratic senator anonymously.
Despite Feinstein's hesitance to say whether her fellow California lawmaker would be a good president, Harris wants to be part of Feinstein's 2018 reelection campaign and has vowed to support her over a progressive primary challenger.
The New York Times published a similar profile piece on Harris last summer that speculated about the senator's future ambitions. Feinstein was asked at the time about Harris' future as a national figure, prompting her to say Harris "just got here." She added that the junior senator was "on the way to becoming" a good friend.