In the competitive bid for California's next U.S. senator, former baseball great Steve Garvey, a Republican, is running second with 15% support, according to a recent SurveyUSA poll commissioned by the Center for Election Science.
The survey, conducted from Dec. 7-10, interviewed 800 adults in California. Out of them, 676 were registered voters, and 590 were identified by SurveyUSA as likely participants in the March 2024 "top two" primary for the U.S. Senate.
Garvey, a 10-time All-Star and former National League MVP, closely trails Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff of California, who leads with 22% support. Reps. Barbara Lee and Katie Porter, both Democrats, are each running at 12% support in the poll.
In the Democrat stronghold, respondents were given the option to select multiple candidates, causing Garvey to slip to fourth place with 25% support. Schiff dominated with 37%, followed by Porter with 29%, and Lee with 28%.
Sen. Laphonza Butler, a Democrat appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom in October to fill the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein's seat temporarily, announced that she would not seek a full term.
Under California's primary system, the two candidates with the highest votes on March 5, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the November general election. Garvey, though a top contender among Republicans, faces uncertainty in making it to the November ballot due to the state's "jungle primary" system.
The upcoming election is poised to be one of the costliest in the 2024 cycle. Schiff leads the fundraising race, amassing over $32 million, followed by Porter with nearly $12 million and Lee with $1.3 million, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Notably, Garvey's campaign has yet to disclose any fundraising figures.
The significance of this race is underscored by the fact that John Seymour was the last Republican senator from California, serving from 1991 until mid-1992, when he lost a special election to Feinstein.
Though commonly cited in the presentation of research results, “sampling error” is not available for this survey.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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