And Underland also said the comment about Trump possibly being a good president did resonate with Californians, noting that they are particularly vulnerable to the Trump administration's policies on taxes, like lowering state and local deductions; immigration, like challenging sanctuary cities; and the environment.

\"It was a slap in the face to the communities who have been the most significantly impacted by this administration,\" he said.

De Leon supporters also point to a statement he co-wrote the day after President Trump’s election, which they argue demonstrates that he’s better attuned than Feinstein to what Californians want, taking a harder tone towards Trump the day after he won rather than seeking opportunities to work with him.

In the statement, written by de Leon and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, they say they would immediately get to work trying to “defend our accomplishments” in the state, evaluating how the new Trump presidency would impact federal funding of state programs, investments reliant on foreign trade and federal enforcement of California’s state laws.

“Today, we woke up feeling like strangers in a foreign land,” they said in the statement.

WATCH LIVE TUESDAY: You can watch livestreaming coverage of all the primary action starting Tuesday at 10 PM Eastern/7 PM Pacific on ABCNews.com or on the ABC News app available on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, Apple TV App Store, and Roku Channel Store.

Don’t forget to sign up for Midterm Elections Alerts to get more coverage of this year’s election season from our powerhouse politics team.

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