During the days he was a Major League Baseball star, Steve Garvey always found a way to win.
And now, with a little help from ads sponsored by Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California, Garvey could be days away from making it to the general election as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate.
A new poll from the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, gives Garvey 27 percent support against 25 percent for Schiff, according to The Hill. That’s within the 2 percentage point margin of error of the poll. The poll was conducted Feb. 22-27 among 6,536 registered voters.
California’s primary system is nonpartisan, which means the top two vote-getters in the Tuesday contest then become the general election candidates to fill the seat of the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
The poll found Democratic Rep. Katie Porter was third at 19 percent support while Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee was at 8 percent.
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Tuesday’s contest will also include a race to serve the final two months of what would have been Feinstein’s term. Garvey tops that race at 29 percent, with Schiff at 23 percent and Porter at 20 percent.
“Garvey is the chief beneficiary in a low turnout election scenario, as he holds a huge advantage over the field among fellow Republicans and both he and Schiff are the two most preferred candidates among older voters, whites, and homeowners,” the poll release stated.
📈🚨NEW POLL & NEW VIDEO🚨📈@latimes/@BerkeleyIGS:
Steve Garvey: 27% 📈
Adam Schiff: 25%
Katie Porter: 19%
Others: 12%
Undecided: 9%
Barbara Lee: 8%Join Team Garvey: https://t.co/mzr06cO5wL
Vote Steve Garvey for US Senate on/by March 5th! #CASen https://t.co/y0RYtcj4HO pic.twitter.com/pXIOfDtdSr— Steve Garvey (@SteveyGarvey6) March 1, 2024
Can Steve Garvey win?
The Los Angeles Times noted that Garvey, who spent nearly 20 years in the majors with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, has a solid fan base across the state.
The Times noted that Schiff has also raised Garvey’s profile by using him as the foil for his massive advertising blitz.
The Times report said that the ads could be part of a strategy from Schiff’s camp to position Schiff to run against the Republican Garvey in the fall, knowing that Republican candidates generally lose statewide elections in California.
“He has become a vessel of opportunity for Schiff to avoid a tough November race” against a Democrat, GOP strategist Rob Stutzman, who once advised former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said.
“Now having said that, it’s also great for Republicans — they are much better off with a Senate candidate in the fall for down-ballot races,” he said.
🧵& New Video: What @AdamSchiff, pundits, and insiders don’t want to admit and will come up with a million excuses to explain away – my campaign has had momentum since I announced – and ONLY because of my 50-year relationship with Californians and that I care about their issues. https://t.co/uNU55WIi5v pic.twitter.com/ThMVNoJaYk
— Steve Garvey (@SteveyGarvey6) March 2, 2024
Garvey explained to Fox News last year why he entered the race, citing education and safety as key issues.
“These steal-and-smash mobs that are going around are something that started in the last year or two. Not only is it about thievery, it’s about danger to people,” he said, adding that police need more support.
“Parents [are] feeling that they’re not able to provide safety and a pathway for their children to be educated adults so that they can go out in the world and be productive,” he said. “I think we need to get back to education that gets to core issues — core issues of preparing our children and getting away from social issues that have the tendency to confuse our children.”
Garvey said he is not a partisan politician.
“I always say I never played for Democrats or Republicans or independents or libertarians. I played for all the fans, and I’m playing right now,” he said.
“I’m running for all the people, and my opponents can’t say that. They’re only running for half the people. They show it every day. They go to Congress [and] they’re there to forward their career. I’ll be a one-term, six-year senator who will step up to the plate every day and go to bat for the people of California who know there’s a better life and need somebody to be their voice. They’ll be the wind beneath my wings, too,” he said.
