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 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,
which touted the former Dodger's Republican loyalties in what many considered a strategy to shore up his support among GOP voters. In an election night speech in Long Beach, Porter said that her opponent spent more to “boost the Republican” than promote his own campaign.
Schiff made no apologies when asked about this tactic at a recent campaign event, noting that every candidate is entitled to run their campaign as they see fit, the Washington Post reported.
“Adam Schiff's plan worked; I think a lot of those ads made Garvey seem legit and made him look like a statesman that Schiff was attacking,” said Matt Lesenyie, assistant political science professor at Cal State Long Beach. “Polling months ago showed that attacking Garvey would unite Republicans and so he (Schiff) had that playbook in hand.”
In addition, Lesenyie said, Garvey benefited from not being afraid to break the Republican status quo and tailor his platform to California voters.
For example, he repeatedly refused to answer whether he would vote for Trump or accept the former president's endorsement. In addition, he proudly said that he supports reproductive rights.
Neither stance appeared to hurt his support among Golden State Republicans — a lesson that California conservatives can now apply to future campaigns, Lesenyie said.
While Schiff was riding a high at his election night party in Hollywood, his victory speech was drowned out by pro-Palestine protestors chanting “ceasefire now.” This reminder of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza cast a somber shadow over the celebratory evening.
“It's surprising for as much of the sort of Machiavellian crafting that went into Schiff's race, it seemed that they didn't vet people at the door or prepare for being interrupted that way,” Lesenyie said. “It's wild that for the price of free they (the protestors) just hijacked that whole thing after he spent millions of dollars to get that event.”
However, the award for the worst night goes to representatives Lee and Porter, both of whom now face the likely prospect of winding down their campaigns and searching for a new job after their term expires.
Porter, who is a former consumer protection attorney, ran as an anti-corruption crusader committed to getting affordable prices for child care, health care, housing and more.
Lee, the highest-ranking Black woman appointed to House leadership, established herself as the most progressive candidate with bold visions like a $50 minimum wage and making public colleges and universities free.
Wednesday morning, Lee issued a statement congratulating Schiff on his victory and saying she was proud of her “grassroots, multicultural and multigenerational campaign.”
“Despite being heavily outspent by my opponents, our values never wavered,” she said. “In every step of this campaign, we never backed down from our progressive vision, and worked relentlessly to build a coalition that represents communities that too often are not afforded a seat at the table.”
Porter cancelled a planned Wednesday event in Irvine with the United Auto Workers Union. In a Tuesday night election party speech in Long Beach, she acknowledged that her campaign was going to “come up short.”
“Our opponents threw everything, every trick in the playbook, millions of dollars to knock us off our feet, but I'm still standing in high heels and that is all because of you,” she said to the crowd of supporters. “So, the most important thing I want to say tonight is thank you, because of you we have the establishment running scared.”
Both women are accomplished legislators with a strong track record of fighting for what they believe in. Possible future positions include a federal or state government appointed role or another elected role — perhaps as a county supervisor or mayor of their hometown city, Lesenyie suggested.