Former Dodger and Padre Steve Garvey is considering a possible run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Dianne Feinstein, it was reported Thursday.
Sources within the state Republican Party told the Los Angeles Times that Garvey has been meeting with GOP donors and leaders to discuss the possibility of a campaign.
Republican strategist Andy Gharakhani told the paper he is advising Garvey, who has been contacted by leaders of both political parties about becoming a candidate, “and he’s seriously considering it.”
“We should have a decision made here in the next few weeks,” Gharakhani told the paper.
If he were to jump into the race as a Republican, he would immediately become the most well-known GOP hopeful, despite his lack of any political experience. The field of confirmed candidates thus far is largely dominated by Democrats, most notably Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee.
Garvey, 74, also would face an uphill challenge, since no Republican has won a statewide election in California since 2006. But as a former member of both the Dodgers and Padres, he benefits from significant name recognition in the state’s two biggest cities.
“He’s a very well-known former athlete in California, and, assuming a strong and competent candidacy, I think he would absolutely have the opportunity to consolidate the Republican vote in the primary,” GOP strategist Rob Stutzman told the L.A. Times.
The paper noted that Garvey went on record in 1981 saying that he had been approached about running for Senate. He later attended the Republican National Convention and raised money for then-candidate George H.W. Bush.
In May, he attended a state Republican donor event in Rancho Mirage, and his potential candidacy was “openly discussed” there, according to the L.A. Times report. Earlier this week, he took part in a fundraiser for Orange County Rep. Michelle Steel in Newport Beach.
Garvey became an All-Star as a member of the Dodgers’ vaunted 1970s infield with Davey Lopes, Bill Russell and Ron Cey. After 14 years in L.A., he moved on to the Padres, where he spent the final five years of his career, helping the team reach the World Series for the first time in 1984. The team retired his number in 1988.
– City News Service