In the California Senate primary, baseball icon Steve Garvey has gained an advantage over U.S. Representative Adam Schiff.
As of Wednesday morning, with over 5 million votes cast, or roughly 85% of predicted returns, Garvey, a former 10-time MLB All-Star, was leading Schiff by an exceedingly narrow margin of just 4,801 votes.
“As California’s votes are counted, it’s clear that our message of unity, common sense, and compassion resonates across the state,” Garvey stated. “I am deeply honored by the trust and support shown in these preliminary results.
Garvey’s trajectory is still competitive to finish first place even after millions of dollars were spent against him in the most costly U.S. Senate primary election in the state.
“I’m energized by our campaign’s momentum and ready for the challenge ahead,” Garvey stated. “I look forward to a spirited campaign on the critical issues facing us.”
In November, Schiff, a prominent Democrat in the U.S. House, will square off against Republican Garvey to see who would replace the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. In California, primary elections are held for all candidates, irrespective of their party affiliation, with the top two finishers moving on to the general election.
Since Pete Wilson defeated Leo T. McCarthy in the 1988 election to win reelection, a Republican has never been chosen to represent California in the U.S. Senate. When Wilson was elected governor of California in 1991, he resigned and named John Seymour to succeed him.
In the 1992 state election, Feinstein defeated Seymour, and she retained the seat until her passing in September. To finish out Feinstein’s tenure, Laphonza Butler was appointed.
According to Garvey, the goal of his campaign is to unite Californians from all backgrounds to tackle common issues.
“I will continue to listen, learn, and lead with compassion and work to build consensus on the real issues that matter to our communities. Thank you to everyone who believes in the California comeback, together, we will make that vision a reality,” Garvey stated.
All mail-in votes, including those postmarked on March 5, must be counted before the race is declared decided.
