Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican baseball star Steve Garvey jumped to fast leads Tuesday evening in the race for the U.S. Senate seat previously held by the late Dianne Feinstein, and they appear destined for a runoff battle in November.
With all statewide precincts reporting partial results, Schiff, D-Burbank, took a lead with 33.2% of the vote, followed closely by Garvey at 32.4%. Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine, was a distant third at 13.8%, while Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, was placing fourth at 7.4%.
If the results hold, Schiff and Garvey will square off in a runoff in November — a battle that many pundits believe will lead to an easy victory for Schiff in heavily Democratic California as they fight for a full six-year term in the Senate.
Schiff and Garvey were also leading the pack in early returns in a separate race to fill out the remainder of Feinstein’s term, which ends in January, meaning they would also advance to the November ballot in that race.
“It looks like we’re going to the general, ladies and gentlemen,” Schiff said at a rally in Hollywood. “You helped us build the biggest grassroots campaign for Senate in California history and I cannot thank you enough.”
Garvey, who played for the Padres and Dodgers, compared the election results to “what it’s like to hit a walk-off home run.”
Lee issued a statement early Tuesday night that fell short of conceding defeat, but thanked her campaign supporters and stressed the issues she was fighting for in the campaign.
“Universal healthcare, climate justice, economic equity, reproductive freedom, peace and security around the world — these are only ideas if we don’t fight for them,” Lee said. “They’re fights I’ve dedicated my life to.
“And seeing the passion and enthusiasm on the ground, willing to do the work and come out and join this fight — I couldn’t be prouder to know that progress is happening here in California.”
When Feinstein died in September, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed former Emily’s List President Laphonza Butler to serve out most of the remainder of her term in the Senate, until someone else is elected. Butler decided not to run for the seat.
Schiff, 62, the leader in the polls and in fundraising, ran on a platform of protecting democracy. He has been ridiculed by Donald Trump for his criticism of the former president from various posts: as Trump impeachment manager in 2020, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a member of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Critics have said that Garvey, 75, faces an uphill battle as a Republican hasn’t won a Senate race in the state since 1988. In the state’s last two Senate races, only Democrats advanced to the general election under California’s top-two election system. Only the top two primary vote-getters face off in November.
However, Republicans have a history of conveying star quality into statewide victories. Arnold Schwarzenegger used his star power to become California’s governor from 2003 to 2011. And in recent weeks, Garvey’s campaign has surged, and he even emerged as the leading candidate in a recent poll — with Democrats splitting their support among the other three top candidates.
Schiff raised eyebrows during the campaign by running ads that framed the race as a contest between his Democratic credentials and Garvey’s record. Those ads helped boost Garvey in the polls. Political analysts said Schiff was intentionally raising Garvey up so can fend off the Democratic candidates and dispatch Garvey in the November election.
Updated at 7:35 a.m., Wednesday, March 6, 2024
