Editor’s Note: This article is purely satirical and fictitious. All attributions in this article are not genuine and this story should be read in the context of pure entertainment only.
Members of the Society for Experienced Necrocracy In the Legislature and Executive (SENILE) have launched a posthumous 2026 gubernatorial campaign for former Sen. Dianne Feinstein ’55. Feinstein, a Democrat in life and death, cast her final vote in the Senate just hours before her death on Sept. 29, 2023. In fact, Feinstein made history as the first female Senator to die in office. At a private event for donors to the deceased Senator, the President of SENILE, Eleanor Gates, announced Feinstein’s bid for Governor of California on her behalf.
“These unprecedented times call for precedented leadership. California has struggled under the collective pressures of rapid inflation, chaos in statewide government and a second, more emboldened Trump administration. What California needs is a proven leader like Senator Feinstein in the Governor’s Mansion to guide us through these uncertain times,” Gates, 78, said over the whirring of her oxygen tank.
Sen. Feinstein joins a crowded field for the Democratic nomination as eight other candidates have already declared their intention to run. However, the deceased Senator boasts a decisive advantage over her opponents. She was elected to public office while her most experienced opponent was still eight-years-old. In fact, Feinstein has served in elected office for 50 of the past 55 years, taking her first hiatus from 1988 to 1992 after losing a bid for governor and her second after passing away in 2023.
Legal experts are debating the validity of a post-mortem run for office. Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office released a statement in support of Sen. Feinstein saying, “Her reputation precedes her” and “Feinstein’s willingness to lay down her life in public office proves her worthiness to run for Governor of this great state.”
The Democratic Party of California responded to The Daily’s request for comment with an email: “Ain’t no rule says a dog can’t play basketball, ain’t no rule says a dead person can’t run for governor.”
Voters have expressed relief at the prospect of Feinstein’s return to elected office. “She was already a Senator when I started voting in 1993. This would save me so much energy not having to research different candidates for office,” said Jen Wright, a 49-year-old voter registered in Los Angeles. “I’m really glad she’s coming back so I can blindly vote for a name that I recognize for governor in 2026 and maybe 2030 too. That’s if I vote at all.”
SENILE has faced steep criticism from rank-and-file Democrats who view the organization as undermining the party’s attempt to create a younger brand. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, 84, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, 74, have broken with their members in an apparent attempt to court the organization for future endorsements. Rumors are also circulating that Sen. Mitch McConnell, 83, announced that he would not seek reelection to the Senate pending a posthumous 2028 Presidential campaign.