Oprah Responds to Rumors She Could Take Feinstein’s Senate Seat

U.S. media executive and talk show host Oprah Winfrey talks to the press as she arrives to the opening celebration of the Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island at the Statue Cruises Terminal in Battery Park in New York on May 15, 2019. Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey said through a spokesperson that she does not intend to replace the seat held by Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-Calif.) if she steps down from office before her 2024 term ends.

This week, rumors and speculative reports emerged claiming that Winfrey, a longtime talk host worth billions, could be tapped to hold Feinstein’s seat ahead of the 2024 election. There has long been speculation that Winfrey could run for office but she’s repeatedly turned down those appeals.