Schiff, Garvey in partisan showdown
Likely California U.S. Senate runoff set to be a traditional Democrat versus Republican contest
Tuesday was a great night for Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, as early results indicated he had bested all of his Democratic opponents and is set to face off against Republican former Dodger Steve Garvey in November.
It was also an excellent evening for the former baseball player whose low-budget campaign scored big among Republicans and some independent voters.
Schiff held 33.2% of the vote, closely followed by Garvey with 32.5%. Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine, had 13.8% and Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, 7.4%, as of the secretary of state office's update at 4:24 p.m. Wednesday. The Associated Press and New York Times declared a primary victory for Garvey and Schiff about 9 p.m. Tuesday night.
While still unofficial, the results set the stage for a partisan showdown in November, which in the deep blue state of
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California favors Schiff.
“I think that he (Schiff) wanted Steve Garvey, he got Steve Garvey and in the end this should be a runaway for him to become California's next United States senator,” veteran campaign consultant Michael Bustamente said.
Schiff was the leading fundraiser and launched a formidable campaign with more than $31 million in his campaign chest. He ran as a defender of democracy, piggybacking on the national prominence he gained after leading the House effort to impeach former President Donald Trump in 2020.
Garvey jumped into the race in November and used his celebrity status to rally support around his platform as a common-sense conservative focused on crime, homelessness and the cost of living.
He also received a helping hand from Schiff's TV advertisements,