(Patriot.Buzz) – Following the results of the recent jungle primary for California’s U.S. Senate, the stage for a November showdown has been set since Democrat Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey emerged as the leading contenders.
Widely recognized for his role in the impeachment trials of former President Donald Trump and for advocating the now-disproven “Russiagate” narrative, Schiff is viewed as the frontrunner in a state that has not elected a Republican to statewide office since 2006.
Previously held by the late Democrat Dianne Feinstein, the seat became available following her passing last September.
Although Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler to temporarily fill the vacancy, Butler opted out of the race to occupy the seat.
An interesting twist in the primary was Schiff and his supporters’ strategic decision to funnel over $11 million into promoting Garvey, a strategy based on the belief that a Republican opponent would be easier to defeat than another Democrat.
This move drew criticism from Katie Porter, who abandoned her re-election campaign for the 47th congressional district to vie for the Senate seat but fell short in the primary. Porter lambasted Schiff’s manipulation of the campaign dynamics as a cynical political play.
Garvey, who entered politics after a celebrated baseball career with the Dodgers and the Padres, ran a relatively quiet campaign marked by minimal advertising and public appearances.
Despite Schiff’s heavy spending Garvey’s campaign expenses were modest and totaled less than $1.4 million by mid-February. His campaign strategy included visits to the U.S.-Mexico border and meetings with community leaders but maintained a low profile overall.
The race to fill Feinstein’s seat saw voters casting ballots for both the short remainder of her term and the full six-year term starting in 2025, with Schiff and Garvey advancing to the runoffs for both periods.
The strategy behind Schiff’s support for Garvey underlines the tactical maneuvers prevalent in political races where the perceived ease of defeating an opponent can shape campaign decisions and expenditures.
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