Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and former baseball star Steve Garvey advanced in the California Senate primary and will face off in November, eliminating progressive Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee from the race.
The Associated Press called the race around 9 p.m. local time with 38% of the vote reported.
California has an at-large primary system, meaning that candidates from all parties compete on the same ballot, with the top two vote-getters moving on to the general election. This also means that, in theory, two members of the same party could face off in November.
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This year’s Senate race was historic in nature as a number of popular candidates vied to fill the seat that Dianne Feinstein had held for more than 30 years.
EMILY’s List Chairwoman Laphonza Butler was named to temporarily replace Feinstein after her death until a real election can be held, but she has expressed no interest in running for a full term.
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Laphonza Butler was sworn into the U.S. Senate on October 3, 2023 to temporarily fill the seat of the late Dianne Feinstein.
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
Schiff, who joined Congress in 2001 and most recently chaired the House Intelligence Committee, rose to prominence when he presided over Trump’s first impeachment trial. His Senate campaign has received some of the strongest endorsements from California leaders – including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former California Sen. Barbara Boxer.
Garvey, 75, is a former Dodgers and Padres baseball star who upset the race by joining as a Republican. His campaign focused on broad “family issues,” including education, public safety and the economy.
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Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, a lawyer and professor who joined, turned the seat blue when she joined the House of Representatives in 2018. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
Porter, 50, and Lee, 77, are notable progressives in the House of Representatives, who lost their seats to run for the Senate this year.
Since joining Congress in 2018, Porter has repeatedly made a name for herself as a tough questioner who can pull off Democratic victories in key battleground districts.
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Democratic representative Barbara Lee, former social worker and longtime member of the House of Representatives. Kelly Sullivan/Getty Images
Lee, who joined Congress in 1998, has long been one of Washington’s most vocal anti-war politicians, casting the lone vote against authorizing the military response in Afghanistan after 9/11 and taking a strong stand to end the war in Gaza in her Senate campaign.
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California’s Senate race was among the most hotly contested 2024 primaries in the country. With Schiff’s Democratic rivals out of the race, he is likely to pull out a general election win over Garvey because of the state’s solid Democratic tilt.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education