LOS ANGELES (CNS) – As expected, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff scored an easy victory over Republican former Dodger Steve Garvey and will claim the U.S. Senate seat previously held by the late Dianne Feinstein.
Schiff, D-Burbank, was considered a heavy favorite throughout the campaign 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 appeared twice on Tuesday’s 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.
The latest vote tally as of early Wednesday morning showed Schiff with about 59% of the vote to Garvey’s 41% in both races.
Schiff spoke to supporters gathered at his campaign headquarters Tuesday night to claim victory, saying he was replacing a “giant” in the U.S. Senate in Feinstein.
“I am so humbled to be your next United States Senator,” he said. “Thank you California. I will spend every day trying to repay the trust that you have placed in me by serving this golden state with all my heart and soul.”
A vocal opponent of Donald Trump, Schiff said that regardless of who won the presidency in Tuesday’s election, “we know there will be serious challenges facing the state of California and the country. Regardless of the outcome, regardless of the way people may have voted, I want to make one thing clear — as your senator I am committed to standing up for every Californian.
“… And my promise to you is that I’m going to deliver on day one, week one, year one, and keep on delivering for this amazing state,” he said. “Because together there is no challenge that we cannot overcome. We leave no community behind. We do not stop, we do not rest until all our citizens have a save place to live, clean water to drink, clean air to breathe, safe neighborhoods to raise their children, good hospitals, clinics and healthcare and the best public schools in the world.
“In pursuit of this dream for all our people I will not rest, California. In the Senate I will be a champion and voice for all Californians, whether you voted for me or not, whether you live in the big city or a small county, whether you grew up here or came to America searching for a better life. We are going to build more affordable housing so you aren’t forced to choose between your rent and putting food on the table.
“We are going to ensure that our fellow neighbors do not have to sleep on the street. We are going to help hard-working families by lowering costs. We are going to fight tooth and nail to protect abortion access and defense democracy and our freedoms.”
Garvey, meanwhile, spoke to his supporters in Rancho Mirage and thanked them for their work during the campaign.
“In baseball, like in many professional sports, there’s a tradition of members of the opposing team to congratulate the winners,” he said. “Often times with a handshake on the field or even a visit to the opponent’s clubhouse. … In that same spirit I congratulate Congressman Adam Schiff on his victory. Using their enormous power the voters have elected him the next U.S. senator from California. And I respect that and wish him good choices for all of the people in the years to come.
“… I want you to know that despite the outcome that when the counting is over we will have gotten the fourth most number of votes in the country. This means that everyone in California does have a voice. And it will only grow louder and louder.”
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, ran 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 was 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, faced 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 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 was also 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.”
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