Adam Schiff and Steve Garvey are set to go head-to-head in November for California’s Senate seat, as projected by. The competition to succeed Dianne Feinstein, the Senate’s longest-serving woman until her passing last year, initially featured three prominent Democrats in a state where the Democratic Party holds a significant 2-1 edge over Republicans.
However, the dynamics shifted with the entry of Steve Garvey, a former baseball star turned celebrity pitchman, into the race as a Republican. Garvey, known for his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, is a political novice with scant policy stances.
All candidates, irrespective of party affiliation, competed on a unified primary ballot. The top two vote-getters will now advance to the November general election.
All Democratic candidates are relinquishing their seats in the House. Adam Schiff, aged 63, gained prominence on television during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment proceedings, where he served as the lead House manager.
Additionally, he played a significant role on the House committee tasked with investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
He is a sharp critic of Trump, and in a passionate speech urging Trump’s removal from office during the impeachment trial, he said,
“You know you can’t trust this president to do what’s right for this country. You can trust he will do what’s right for Donald Trump. He’ll do it now. He’s done it before.”
The Republicans, during their control of the House, censured Adam Schiff for his role as a prosecutor.
While Democrats largely shared similar policies, Adam Schiff differed from Rep. Katie Porter and Rep. Barbara Lee on certain issues. Notably, Schiff advocated for a “humanitarian pause” rather than a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, asserting Israel’s right to self-defense. He has been a staunch advocate for gun control, supporting a ban on assault weapons, and prioritizes environmental issues, clean energy, mass transit, LGBTQ, and human rights.
Schiff’s extensive advertising campaign, nearly double that of Porter’s, targeted Steve Garvey as too conservative for California. This strategy prompted Porter’s campaign to accuse Schiff of elevating Garvey’s profile in the primary to secure an easier victory in the general election. Schiff defended the ads, citing Garvey’s attacks against him.
Republicans have struggled to win U.S. Senate races in California since 1988, with Democratic registration far outnumbering Republicans.
According to a poll by the Public Policy Institute of California, top issues for likely voters include jobs and inflation, homelessness, housing, crime, and immigration.
Dianne Feinstein, serving in the U.S. Senate for three decades, was the oldest senator at 90 when she passed away in September. She had been a vocal advocate for gun control and was known for her centrist approach, seeking bipartisan cooperation.
Katie Porter, aged 50, is a consumer advocate who has focused on holding the financial industry accountable as a member of the House Financial Services Committee and the House Oversight and Reform Committee. Her priorities include lowering drug prices, increasing fees on polluters, and addressing gaps in health coverage.
Porter flipped a Republican congressional seat in Orange County to become the first Democrat to represent her district in 2018, and she has been re-elected twice since.
Katie Porter is widely recognized for her use of a whiteboard during congressional hearings, where she has grilled bank presidents and CEOs on various sensitive topics like compensation and pricing.
Before entering politics, Porter taught law in Nevada and Iowa, eventually becoming a tenured professor of bankruptcy law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. She was appointed by then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris as the state’s independent monitor of banks during the $25 billion mortgage settlement in 2012.
Barbara Lee, aged 77, was first elected to Congress in 1998 in a special election and has been a vocal advocate for racial justice. She holds the distinction of being the highest-ranking Black woman in the House Democratic leadership and serves as co-chair of the Policy and Steering Committee.
Lee also led the Congressional Black Caucus from 2009 to 2011. In the House, she serves on the Budget Committee and the Appropriations Committee.
Lee supports policies such as Medicare for all, canceling student debt, and ending the war on drugs. She advocates for establishing a national rent cap, making housing a human right, and raising the minimum wage. Notably, she was the sole member of Congress to vote against the authorization for the use of military force after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and she opposed the U.S. invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.
During his illustrious playing career, Steve Garvey, aged 75, was a 10-time All-Star, the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1974, and the National League Championship Series MVP in 1978 and 1984. After retiring, he endorsed various companies such as Pepsi-Cola, Chevrolet, Gillette, and McDonald’s.
However, Garvey’s campaign website lacks specific policy proposals on issues like homelessness, immigration, crime, and environmental stewardship. He emphasizes Israel’s right to self-defense and has stated opposition to a nationwide abortion ban.
