Ken Tran,Rachel BarberUSA TODAY
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Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and former baseball star and Republican Steve Garvey will face off in November after securing the most votes in the California Senate race on Super Tuesday − turning what was a bitter and hotly contested Senate race into an uncompetitive election.
But that doesn't mean it wasn't unusual. Voters will get the chance to fill the same seat: twice.
That’s because when Sen. Dianne Feinstein died in September last year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler – a longtime Vice President Kamala Harris ally – to the seat until November. But that would leave two more months in that term to do the job, meaning there is a special election for someone to serve the remainder of Feinstein’s term. In addition, Golden State voters must decide who will carry the torch for the next full, six-year term beginning in January.
Both Super Tuesday ballot races featured three Democratic House lawmakers: Reps. Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee and Katie Porter. And one Republican; Garvey.
California’s primary is considered a “jungle primary,” which means ballots can be cast for any candidate regardless of party affiliation.
Here are some of Super Tuesday’s takeaways from this contentious primary:
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Schiff, backed by mainstream Democrats, beats back progressives
Schiff was long the perceived front-runner in the crowded race, having gained the coveted endorsem*nt of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. early in the primary.
He also got the backing of House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Pete Aguilar, the No. 3 ranking House Democrat.
Schiff’s victory is a significant boost for his campaign as the race heads into a general election. He built his reputation during former President Donald Trump’s administration, being one of the most vocal Democratic voices against the former president. Schiff served as the lead House impeachment manager in Trump’s first impeachment trial.
And compared with his Democratic opponents, beyond just Pelosi and Aguilar, Schiff had the backing of the vast majority of California’s Democratic House delegation.
Steve Garvey, a late entrant to the race, prevails – thanks to Schiff
Garvey’s late entry into the primary significantly shook up the dynamics of the contest in October of last year when the race consisted of mainly high-profile Democrats.
The former baseball star who boasted widespread name recognition thanks to his time on the Los Angeles Dodgers can partly thank Schiff for his second-place finish. In a bid to knock out his Democratic opponents early, Schiff and his allies spent millions of dollars on ads boosting Garvey in the lead up to the primary.
Garvey was a first baseman for the Dodgers and 10-time All Star. He made a name for himself in politics fundraising for ALS research and testified on the Senate floor about the importance of finding a cure in 2000.
Garvey previously told USA TODAY he is focusing his campaign on quality-of-life issues, education, and public safety. He added that he voted for former Republican president Donald Trump twice.
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In deep-blue California, Schiff all-but secures Senate seat
Garvey advancing to the general election all but secures the race for Schiff. In liberal California, no Republican has won a California Senate election since 1988 when incumbent Pete Wilson won reelection for a second term.
The outcome will also be a massive relief for Senate Democrats who are staring down a brutal map this election cycle – of the 33 seats up for reelection, Democrats are defending 23 of them.
A Democratic-on-Democratic general election risked taking up valuable campaign resources that could instead go to more competitive states that will be critical in determining the Senate majority such as Montana, Ohio and Arizona.
With Schiff as the remaining Democrat going into the general election, Democrats will have slightly better odds of holding on to the Senate majority.
California will not have a woman serving in the Senate
Schiff and Garvey's advancement to the general election means no matter the victor – likely to be Schiff – California will not have a woman serving in the Senate for the first time in over 30 years.
Both Feinstein and former Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., were elected to the Senate in 1992, an election cycle that earned the name "Year of the Woman."
Harris succeeded Boxer in 2017 after her retirement. When Harris left for the White House to serve as Biden's vice president, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., was appointed to serve the remainder of Harris' term. He later won a full six-year term in 2022.
It was one of the most expensive senate races in recent California history
Heading into Super Tuesday, the competition to fill Feinstein’s seat was already one of the most expensive in California history.
As of mid-February, Schiff was far ahead of his competitors when it came to fundraising.
As of Feb. 14, Schiff had raised close to $30 million in campaign contributions, nearly double the amount of the race’s next candidate. Porter had raised nearly $16.8 million, Lee had received about $4.8 million, and Garvey about $2.1 million, according to FEC filings in mid-February.
In contrast, Feinstein's final reelection campaign in 2018 totaled about $11.2 million in contributions and her challenger raised only $1.7 million for his campaign, according to FEC filings that year.
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We won’t know Butler’s replacement until November
No matter who voters pick to fill behind Butler, they have to vote again in the general election.
The separate ballot questions also mean one candidate could hold the job for two months, and another for the next six years.
And while it’s unusual, that means there will be two general election races on the November ballot – the special election to serve two-months and the regularly scheduled election for a full six-year term.
