Democrat Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey advance to compete for California Senate seat
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The race for California's Senate seat in November is poised to be a rare two-party showdown between Democrat Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey.
Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff has won the California primary, positioning him to become the state's next US senator.
Schiff and the other leading candidates spoke with pride about their campaigns and praised their supporters on Super Tuesday after a hard-fought primary.
"Looks like we're going to the general ladies and gentlemen," Schiff said. "My great gratitude to all of my wonderful supporters. I want to acknowledge the right of our protestors. And I lok forward to working with you all and onward to victory in November."
Schiff is advancing to a November election to decide who will fill the Senate seat held for three decades by the late Dianne Feinstein.
"I really think California is looking for someone in the Senate that can take on the big fights when it's necessary but knows also how to deliver, how to bring resources back to California," Schiff said in Los Angeles earlier in the day.
Republican Steve Garvey came in second and will take on Schiff in the fall, a rare opportunity for the GOP to compete in a marquee statewide race in this Democratic stronghold.
"I congratulate Congressman Schiff in joining me in the general election," Garvey said. "We feel good about where we are right now. I'll say tonight is the first game of the doubleheader. The second game is going to be daunting. It'll be almost like a Super Bowl or the next fourth quarter or eight innings, but I think it should be exciting for all of us."
Garvey, a prominent former baseball player with the LA Dodgers and San Diego Padres, rose in the polls quickly, buoyed by name recognition among older voters in particular.
Republicans haven't won a Senate seat since 1988 and in a state where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by a margin of 2 to 1, some people saw a runoff between Garvey and Schiff as paving an easier path for Schiff to winning the Senate seat, compared to a runoff against another Democrat.
The candidate pool was crowded and included Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee and Katie Porter, who fell further back in the race leading up to Super Tuesday.
Porter spoke Tuesday night and conceded she did not qualify for November's election.
"We know that tonight we will come up short. Let me also say this. Our opponents threw everything at us, every trick, millions of dollars, every trick in the book, to knock us off our feet," Porter said, "But, I'm still standing in high heels."
Congresswoman Barbara Lee in Oakland attended a phone bank before flying back to Washington D.C. Tuesdsay evening.
Lee praised her supporters and said her campaign has built a multi-racial, progressive movement.
"I think what's important about Barbara Lee for Senate is that people understand that I see them, I hear them, I want to make their lives better," Lee said. "We have to get to public financed campaigns because you can see the disparity in the money. I mean, come on. The establishment money doesn’t go to a Black, progressive woman."
The contest over the successor to Feinstein was the most prominent state race in California.
There were two votes for the Senate seat in the primary. One was about finding a replacement to complete Feinstein's term and another was for a full six-year term that will begin in January 2025.
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California puts all candidates, regardless of party, on the same primary ballot and the two who get the most votes advance to the general election. That means Republicans are sometimes shut out of high profile statewide races given the grip Democrats hold on the state. The GOP has failed to advance a candidate to the general election in two of California's last three U.S. Senate races.
Still, Democrats are expected to easily hold the Senate seat in November, a relief for the party as it seeks to defend a narrow majority. A Republican hasn't won a Senate race in California since 1988.
But the campaign nonetheless represents a new era in California politics, which was long dominated by Feinstein and a handful of other veteran politicians.
Schiff gained national attention as a leading antagonist to former President Donald Trump during his years in the White House. He was a leading voice during Trump's two impeachments, prompting House Republicans to take the extraordinary step of censuring him after they gained control of the chamber.
That only deepened his appeal in the Democratic stronghold of California, helping Schiff become a favorite of the party's establishment with endorsements from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, most of California's congressional delegation and former Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer.
With that high-powered support, Schiff was a fundraising powerhouse, an important advantage in what became a massively expensive primary campaign.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.