Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., brought her re-election campaign to Santa Barbara on Sunday, discussing her accomplishments in the Senate, immigration, Russian election interference and the current confirmation hearings of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Feinstein attended the 48th Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County luncheon at the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara, where Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, conducted an interview-style discussion with her.

“As California’s senior senator, Dianne Feinstein has distinguished herself as an effective problem solver and has focused on addressing the challenges facing California and our nation,” said Carbajal, a freshman lawmaker who himself is campaigning for a second two-year term.

“Her accomplishments in the Senate include legislation increasing vehicle fuel economy standards; protecting amateur athletes from sexual abuse; preserving the Mojave Desert, Lake Tahoe and our forests; consumer protection; food safety and cyber security; drought relief; securing funding for critical projects; and common sense gun laws, including the landmark federal ‘assault weapons’ ban.”

In June, he said, Feinstein authored the Keep Families Together Act, which was co-sponsored by “every Democratic senator,” to stop President Donald Trump from separating children from their parents at the border under a now-abandoned policy aimed at deterring illegal immigration.

“There are still hundreds of young children in facilities all over this country,” Feinstein told about 200 guests at the luncheon. “We want to do a bill that would set some policy.”

The 85-year-old Feinstein was first elected to the Senate in 1992 and is seeking a fifth six-year term. Her opponent in the Nov. 6 election actually is a fellow Democrat, state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León of Los Angeles, who finished second to her in the June primary. Under California’s primary rules, the top two vote-getters move on to the general eleciton, regardless of party.

Although de León has the endorsement of the California Democratic Party executive board, Feinstein has a comfortable lead in statewide polls.

“My value to you is solving problems, and I have found that in me, I have the ability to solve problems because I can listen to people — and work out where is the pathway to success,” Feinstein said. “When I was younger … I’d rush into things, and maybe not always have the success.

“As I have gotten older … working with people across party lines really is important.”

Feinstein’s visit to Santa Barbara came after a week of Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the Kavanaugh nomination to the Supreme Court. Feinstein is the committee’s senior minority member.

In addition to overseeing judicial nominations, the committee has been investigationg Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

“That investigation is important to the future of this country,” Feinstein said. “We cannot have a president of the United States who is above the law. It’s a very important investigation.”

Christina Pizarro, board president of the Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County, welcomed guests to the annual luncheon and highlighted the mission of the organization.

“It was founded 47 years ago with the intention of promoting democratic principals, issues and values,” she said. “That is our critical core.”

— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.