Newsletter: Essential Politics: Get ready, California. The Democrats are about to fight for the soul of the party

California politics just got a lot more interesting.

ALL EYES ON SENATE RACE

Maybe Sen. Dianne Feinstein was hoping her reelection announcement last week would scare away potential challengers, but she appears to have no such luck. As Seema Mehta and Melanie Mason report, state Sen. Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) is in. With a video outlining his biography and a message to supporters, the Senate pro tem positioned himself to be the voice to challenge President Trump.

And the fact De León’s even able to broach the idea against such a seasoned Senate veteran is partly because the state’s restive liberal base views Feinstein as too measured and bipartisan, traits Feinstein has long been proud of, as Mehta reported.

He might not be alone among prominent Democrats jumping in. Tom Steyer said Sunday he’s considering a bid.

With the senate leader and the billionaire activist at her heels, Feinstein finds herself in the unlikely position of a Democratic stalwart forced to fend off salvos from those in her own party at a time when California is in a feverish political moment.

The move has been in the works for a while, though De León was mum about his plans Thursday night at a housing forum in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, Rep. Ro Khanna is making a vocal case for a progressive challenger to take on Feinstein, an unusually bold declaration for a freshman lawmaker.

Practically, the news means fundraising over the next quarter will be critical. It also suggests that the crowded gubernatorial campaign, which Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom still dominates in terms of money and public opinion, could fly under the radar for a bit.

Feinstein loyalists have not been shy about linking a competitive primary in a state where Democrats dominate to distracting the party from the real prize: control of the U.S. House after the 2018 midterms.

We’ll be covering this all closely in real time on our Essential Politics news feed on California politics.

NATIONAL POLITICS LIGHTNING ROUND

Back in Washington, golf was on the president’s agenda. And his secretary of State got a little graphic. Here’s a quick look at what you may have missed.

-- Rex Tillerson said on television that he is, indeed, “fully intact.”

-- Evan Halper reports that coal country is finding little relief in Trump’s actions

-- At a Koch donor summit, Vice President Mike Pence promised tax reform, and Sen. Ted Cruz warned of a midterm “bloodbath” if Congress fails.

-- Cathy Decker looks at the Virginia gubernatorial campaign ahead of next month’s vote.

-- Steve Bannon, touting his “war” on the GOP, credits the recent Alabama election with pulling Trump rightward.

Get the latest about what’s happening in the nation’s capital on Essential Washington.

WHAT WOULD YOU ASK NANCY PELOSI?

Wednesday night I will sit down with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi at The Times Summit with the Berggruen Institute. We’ll ask some questions from readers. You can submit them to me here.

After the Pelosi discussion, Sacramento bureau chief John Myers will have a conversation with state Sen. Robert Hertzberg, GOP strategist Luis Alvarado, Gary L. Toebben of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, UCLA professor Lynn Vavreck and Alma Hernandez, executive director of SEIU California about the view from the state.

We’ll livestream the event here. If you’re in Los Angeles, you can come watch in person — tickets are still available.

CALIFORNIA ABLAZE

Our team has been doing incredible, round-the-clock coverage out of Northern California as residents face the extent of what will be one of the state’s most destructive and deadly fires. Here’s the latest on what the fight to contain it is looking like, a story you shouldn’t start without tissue and a whole bunch of stories recounting what happened that aren’t any easier to read.

BROWN BREAKS WITH DEMOCRATS ON TRUMP’S TAX RETURNS

In a bill that bookended the legislative year in Sacramento — one of the first introduced, one of the last to be acted on Sunday night — Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a proposal popular with Democrats that sought to force Trump to make his tax returns public.

The bill was simple: No tax returns, no spot on California’s presidential primary ballot. Brown’s veto message said he doesn’t believe the proposal would have passed legal muster.

MANY MORE SIGNED THAN VETOED

In all, the governor acted on 977 bills this year sent to his desk by the Legislature and vetoed only 12% of them — a lower rejection rate than 2016.

Some of the highlights of the final few days:

-- The state will ban any effort to create a “Muslim registry” from its government records.

-- California’s now on the path to offering the first year of community college free to full-time students.

-- Expanded unpaid family leave and free menstrual products in low-income schools are among the new laws oriented toward women, but one to require disclosure of gender-based salary information was vetoed.

-- California will be the first state in the nation to require disclosure of chemicals in cleaning products.

-- An anti-Trump bill to protect climate data and scientists was vetoed, but Brown vowed to preserve the research.

-- After a scathing audit, the University of California will now have to be clearer in reporting costs.

-- More diaper changing stations are coming to men’s bathrooms and public facilities.

For a full rundown of the bills we followed in the final days of Brown’s review, check the legislative briefs on our Essential Politics news feed.

POLITICAL ROAD MAP: RECALLS ARE RARE

With the odds now favoring a special recall election against a state senator from Orange County, it’s worth noting that hardly any state politicians have ever been fired before their term in office is up.

As John Myers explains in his Sunday column, just 3% of California recall elections have actually succeeded. And those that do have one key thing in common.

TODAY’S ESSENTIALS

-- Rep. Dana Rohrabacher’s race was moved to “toss-up” status amid his Russia investigation entanglements.

-- Newsom, whose wife spoke out about her experiences with Oscar-winning producer Harvey Weinsten, is among the Democratic elected officials who returned a donation from the Hollywood mogul, Mehta reports.

-- Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sherrod Brown of Ohio swooped into California for a fundraising run with Hollywood heavyweights and other prominent donors last week.

-- Another Orange County congressional challenger is trying to tie his Republican opponent to Trump. The strategy didn’t work so great in 2016 — will next year be any different?

-- California filed a legal challenge to the Trump administration’s revised travel restrictions.

-- Limousine rides and other improper conduct by state employees were among the things uncovered through a whistleblower hotline, according to State Auditor Elaine Howle’s twice-yearly report of employee misconduct.

-- A new liberal super PAC says it’s not just settling for the seven Republican-held House districts where Hillary Clinton won last year. Flip the 14 is going after all 14 House Republicans in California.

LOGISTICS

Essential Politics is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

You can keep up with breaking news on our politics page throughout the day for the latest and greatest. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics?

Miss Friday’s newsletter? Here you go.

Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com.

Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox.