Former Dodgers All-Star Steve Garvey’s quixotic campaign for the U.S. Senate seat once held by the late Dianne Feinstein appears likely to pay off in Tuesday’s California primary. Despite his barely-there strategy — Garvey held few public events and did not pay for a single television ad — polls show the Republican is on the cusp of winning one of the top two spots in the nonpartisan primary and advancing to the general election.
Political experts say Garvey was buoyed by two forces: fame from his nearly two decades playing for the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, including the Dodgers’ 1981 World Series victory, and a multimillion-dollar ad blitz by his opponent, Democratic front-runner Rep. Adam B. Schiff and his allies, that boosted Garvey’s standing among GOP voters.
Schiff (D-Burbank) benefits if Garvey advances to the November election because of California’s overwhelming Democratic tilt. Garvey faces little chance of winning in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican statewide since 2006. Still, his name on the November ballot could help the GOP if it boosts Republicans in tight congressional races that will be decisive in determining control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“He has become a vessel of opportunity for Schiff to avoid a tough November race” against a fellow Democrat, said veteran GOP strategist Rob Stutzman, a former advisor to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. “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.”
News that Garvey had been meeting with GOP donors and leaders around the state as he pondered a potential Senate bid leaked out last spring. He took months to officially announce that he was running for the seat, prompting head-scratching among political insiders because of the amount of money that needs to be raised to run a statewide campaign in California, home to some of the most expensive media markets in the nation.
"Where Revolution is the Solution" Taking back the Empire
