OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A new poll shows that a Republican candidate is shaking up the U.S. Senate race in California, which includes three prominent Democrats in the open primary and is just months away — which is not good for Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff.
Steve Garvey, a former baseball player and Republican candidate, came in second place with 19% of the vote, according to a Morning Consult/Politico poll of likely primary voters. Adam Schiff, a Democrat, received 28% of the support. Congressional Democrats Katie Porter (17% support) and Barbara Lee (14% support) lagged behind the Republican in the polls.
The two candidates with the most votes in the March 5 primary will advance to the November general election. If Garvey placed second in the open primary, Schiff would likely win the Senate seat, and Porter and Lee would be unable to challenge him in the general election.
This seat is considered to be in the “Solid D” category, according to the Cook Political Report. In 2020, Joe Biden won California by nearly 30 points.
With Biden leading the Democratic nomination for 2024 and the state of California being heavily blue, Schiff is a good bet to win the election. If the Republican placed second in the primary, Schiff would stay out of a potential rematch with another Democrat.
The other three candidates, Schiff, Porter, and Lee, have been in the race since early October, while Garvey joined the race later in the month. According to a compilation of surveys by RealClearPolitics, Schiff has maintained a lead of several percentage points in most polls.
Even though Garvey hasn’t revealed her fundraising totals, documents submitted to the Federal Election Commission show that the Democrats have raised millions of dollars for the race so far. Lee has raised $3.4 million for the race, while Schiff and Porter have raised $21.5 and $22.1 million, respectively.
Garvey plans to run a “common sense” campaign in the blue state, in contrast to the Democrats, who mainly serve the party’s left wing.
Laphonza Butler, an appointee of Governor Gavin Newsom, is currently serving as the incumbent senator from California. Senator Feinstein was a Democrat who passed away in 2022. Butler decided not to run for reelection.
Schiff would face serious opposition from the pro-choice EMILYs List president, Ifhat Butler if she were to seek public office. Butler has an extensive political network, tremendous fundraising capacity, and the benefit of being the current president.
Meanwhile, Schiff’s campaign has taken other hits recently as well.
He is under fire over claims that he has been claiming two primary residences in Maryland and California for more than ten years while taking advantage of homeowner tax breaks.
The controversies surrounding Schiff’s residential claims may cause problems for his January 2023 announcement of a U.S. Senate run.
For years, Schiff has been the congressman who saved about $70 a year in property taxes as a result of this maneuver, which saved him $7,000 in total. Schiff did not request a comparable exemption for his property in Maryland.
According to CNN, tax records reveal that 2017 was the only year Schiff paid property taxes in California using a personal check bearing his Maryland address, adding fuel to the controversy.
One insider told The New York Post that Schiff is “rarely at his California apartment,” which is a modest one-bedroom, one-bathroom residence.
“The revelation comes as Schiff faces stiff competition in the California Senate primary against fellow Democratic Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee. Deed records reveal that Schiff designated his Maryland property as his primary residence in 2003 when he purchased it for $870,000,” the NY Post reported.
“In 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, Schiff refinanced his mortgage and consistently indicated the Maryland property as his primary residence. Los Angeles County deed records for Schiff’s Burbank condo, purchased in 2009 for $298,000, raise eyebrows as they were notarized in Maryland. The records feature alterations that replaced ‘California’ and ‘Los Angeles’ with ‘Maryland’ and ‘Montgomery County,’ listing Schiff’s Maryland address as the return address. This inconsistency further fuels doubts about his true primary residence,” the outlet added.
In an interview with CNN, Schiff’s campaign spokesperson, Marisol Samayoa, insisted that the candidate’s primary residence is in Burbank, despite an increasing body of evidence indicating otherwise. Schiff resides in Maryland.
Samayoa emphasized that Schiff and his wife had moved to the Washington, DC, area to spend more time with their children while he performed his congressional duties, citing several news mentions as well as his book.
Samayoa further claimed that Schiff claimed that his Maryland and California addresses are year-round residences and listed them as primary residences for loan purposes to differentiate them from vacation properties.
Nevertheless, Schiff’s biography on the campaign website from 2010 to 2014, which stated he was raising his family in Burbank, omits any reference to his residence in Maryland.
