California Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee this week joined a growing field of candidates seeking to replace retiring Sen. Dianne Feinstein, whose staff announced that she will not seek reelection.

The Hill reported that the California Democrat had filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday to run for Feinstein’s seat, but the lawmaker has yet to formally announce her campaign.

“[T]he campaign is taking the necessary steps to prepare,” a consultant for Lee told the outlet. “The Congresswoman will have more to say about this before the end of the month.”

Feinstein, 89, is the eldest lawmaker in the upper chamber. Her staff announced on Tuesday that she would not seek reelection, but the senator later appeared at a press conference, and initially denied she had decided to retire, unaware of the press release. Upon clarification from her staff, she confirmed her retirement plans.

[Probably just as well Feinstein got told she’d bowed out when she did. She would have been trampled in the stampede. ~ Beege]