SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California will appear on stage with an election opponent for the first time since 2000 when she squares off against state Sen. Kevin de Leon. Feinstein and de Leon will appear together Oct. 17 in San Francisco for an event with the Public Policy Institute of California. Feinstein avoided sharing the stage with her Republican rivals in 2012 and 2006, two elections she easily won. She is facing a Democrat on Nov. 6 because California’s primary system sends the two candidates who receive the most primary votes to the general election regardless of party. The campaigns dispute whether the event is a debate. Feinstein’s team calls it one, de Leon’s team says it’s not. PPIC bills it as a conversation.