Former baseball great Steve Garvey running second in California Senate race: poll 

News

By Victor Nava

Could a Gold Glover win the Golden State’s Senate race?

Former Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres star Steve Garvey is running in second place in the crowded race to become California’s next US senator, according to a new poll 

The 10-time All-Star, who’s running as a Republican, snagged 15% support in a SurveyUSA poll conducted for the Center for Election Science and released earlier this week. 

Garvey, a former National League MVP, only trails Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who’s polling at 22%, in the hotly-contested race for the seat formerly held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). 

Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.) each recorded 12% support in the survey.

When voters in the Democratic Party stronghold were offered the opportunity to choose as many of the candidates as they wish, Garvey fell to fourth place in the poll with 25% support, behind Schiff’s 37% backing, Porter’s 29% support and Lee’s 28%. 

Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), appointed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in October to replace Feinstein, has said she will not run for a full term. 

Under California’s primary system, the top two vote-getters on March 5 will square off in the November general election, even if both are from the same party. 

The so-called “jungle primary” system means Garvey won’t necessarily make it onto the November ballot  even if he’s the top Republican vote getter in March. 

The race is shaping up to be one of the most expensive contests of the 2024 cycle, if not ever.

Schiff leads the field in fundraising with more than $32 million in cash on hand, followed by Porter’s nearly $12 million war chest and Lee’s $1.3 million in cash, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

Garvey’s campaign has not yet filed any fundraising totals. 

John Seymour was the last Republican senator from California. He served from 1991 until mid-1992 when he lost his special election race to Feinstein.