Schiff, Garvey Square Off in Race for Feinstein’s Senate Seat

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican former Dodger Steve Garvey will square off Tuesday in the battle to claim the U.S. Senate seat previously held by the late Dianne Feinstein. Schiff is currently a Congressman; he represents a portion of West Pasadena.

Schiff is considered a heavy favorite to win the seat in Democrat-heavy California, although both he and Garvey each earned about one-third of the vote during the March primary election.

Both candidates actually appear twice on the ballot — once in the race to fill out the remainder of Feinstein’s term, which ends in January, and again in the race for another six-year term.

When Feinstein died in September 2023, 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, 64, has run his campaign 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 that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

“We’re in the fight of our lives for the future of our country,” Schiff said in a statement when he launched his campaign. “Our democracy is under assault from MAGA extremists, who care only about gaining power and keeping it. And our economy is simply not working for millions of Americans, who are working harder than ever just to get by.”

In June of last year, Schiff was censured by the Republican-led House on a party-line vote for comments he made during the investigations into Trump’s ties to Russia. Schiff took the censure by Republicans as a badge of honor.

“For the first time in generations, our country and its citizens are seeing their rights and freedoms recede, not expand,” Schiff said on his campaign’s website.

“From abortion and reproductive care to LGBTQ equality and the ability to vote — all of these inherent rights are under assault. We need to preserve and protect our rights and freedoms — and yes, expand them — not take them away, as reactionary MAGA Republicans and a partisan Supreme Court have successfully done over the last few years.”

Schiff said he will also tackle the twin crises of housing affordability and homelessness.

“We simply do not have enough housing that’s affordable, and because of that, we have seen a dramatic rise in people experiencing homelessness,” Schiff said. “We need to build hundreds of thousands of units of affordable housing each year in California alone, and help those struggling to pay for housing every day.”

He added that the government needs to dramatically change how it approaches homelessness, not only to prevent people from ending up on the streets but also to find effective methods of housing them.

One of the main components of Schiff’s campaign is his affordability agenda.

“California working families are facing an affordability crisis. And we can do something about it,” Schiff said.

“Corporations are raising the prices of goods with little oversight and swallowing up their competition. We need federal price gouging rules, better antitrust enforcement, and to drive down the costs of prescription drugs and gas — all while protecting and empowering workers.”

Schiff was first elected to Congress in 2000, representing a large swath of the greater Los Angeles area. Previously he served as a California state senator and as an assistant U.S. Attorney.

Garvey, 75, faces an uphill battle, as a Republican hasn’t won a Senate race in the state since 1988. 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.

Throughout the campaign, Garvey has leaned into his baseball career.

“I never played for Democrats or Republicans or independents. I played for all of you,” Garvey said in a video launching his campaign last year. “It’s time to get off the bench. It’s time to get back in the game.”

Garvey’s entrance into the race gave Republicans a name recognized by many Californians.

“Our campaign is focused on quality-of-life issues, public safety and education,” Garvey said, adding that solving the homelessness crisis is one of his top priorities.

“We can’t just offer temporary fixes; we need to dig deep and provide comprehensive care that includes mental health, addiction treatment, and affordable housing,” Garvey said on his campaign’s website. “This issue is about restoring hope, dignity, and humanity to our fellow Californians that are struggling on our streets.”

The former baseball player said his focus will also be on public safety.

“I fully back our law enforcement and believe in the power of community policing and innovative crime prevention,” Garvey said. “I’ll work towards building strong partnerships between law enforcement and communities.”

Garvey insisted he will improve the quality of life for Californians.

“It’s about creating opportunities for every Californian to live a fulfilling life. From boosting our economy in these tough times, ensuring everyone has access to quality healthcare, to investing in our communities,” he said.

Garvey stated he would also tackle the issue of immigration.

“We need a balanced approach to immigration. This means we must secure borders, while also respecting the dignity and aspirations of those who come here seeking a better life,” Garvey said.

Other issues Garvey has focused on include improving the education system, supporting “practical climate action that balances our ecological needs with economic growth,” and supporting sustainable agriculture that’s “both environmentally friendly, economically viable.”