Current:Home > FinanceLopsided fight to fill Feinstein’s Senate seat in liberal California favors Democrat Schiff-InfoLens
Lopsided fight to fill Feinstein’s Senate seat in liberal California favors Democrat Schiff
View Date:2024-12-23 15:39:23
Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Californians are voting Tuesday to fill the U.S. Senate seat long held by the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein after a low-key contest dominated by Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff.
In a year when control of the Senate is in play, Democrats are favored to easily hold the seat in the liberal-leaning state where a Republican hasn’t won a Senate race since 1988, when President Ronald Reagan was in the White House.
Schiff, a Los Angeles-area congressman who rose to national prominence as the lead prosecutor in then-President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial, held an edge for months in campaign financing and polling over Republican former baseball star Steve Garvey.
Still, the campaign represents a turning point in California politics, which was long dominated by Feinstein, former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, former Gov. Jerry Brown and a handful of other veteran Democratic politicians. The contest also means that California won’t have a woman representing it in the Senate for the first time in more than three decades.
Schiff shaped his campaign around national issues including abortion rights while continuing to play a foil to Trump, calling the former president a threat to democracy. He also contrasted his years of experience in Congress — Schiff was first elected to the House in 2000 — against Garvey, a first-time candidate who positioned himself as an outsider with fresh perspective to deal with California’s long-running homeless crisis, inflation and housing costs.
Garvey, a former MVP and perennial All-Star who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, calls himself a “conservative moderate” who shouldn’t be buttonholed into conventional political labels, an obvious pitch to independent and soft Democratic voters in a state where registered Republicans are outnumbered by Democrats nearly 2-to-1.
The race has been largely overlooked in a year when control of the Senate will turn on a handful of competitive races, including in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Montana.
The Republican Party has struggled in the nation’s most populous state for years, though it retains pockets of strength in rural areas, the Central Valley farm belt and parts of Southern California.
Democrats hold every statewide office and dominate the Legislature and congressional delegation by commanding margins. Republicans haven’t won a statewide race in the state since 2006.
Garvey aimed a final advertising push at Latinos, who make up about a quarter of likely voters in California.
Feinstein, a centrist Democrat who was elected to the Senate in 1992, died at 90 in September 2023. Laphonza Butler, a Democratic insider and former labor leader, was appointed to the seat following Feinstein’s death and decided not to seek a full term this year.
veryGood! (78524)
Related
- Shaboozey to headline halftime show of Lions-Bears game on Thanksgiving
- California Lottery reveals name of man representing a group of winners of second-largest US jackpot
- Wayne Simmonds retires: Former Flyers star was NHL All-Star Game MVP
- Men’s March Madness bracket recap: Full NCAA bracket, schedule, more
- Chipotle unveils cilantro-scented soap, 'water' cup candles in humorous holiday gift line
- Mega Millions jackpot approaching $900 million: What to know about the next lottery drawing
- R. Kelly seeks appeals court relief from 30-year prison term
- Prime Video announces 'biggest reality competition series ever' from YouTuber MrBeast
- Trump announces Tom Homan, former director of immigration enforcement, will serve as ‘border czar’
- Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer gets eight-year contract: Salary, buyout, more to know
Ranking
- Tesla issues 6th Cybertruck recall this year, with over 2,400 vehicles affected
- Former Vice President Mike Pence calls Trump's Jan. 6 hostage rhetoric unacceptable
- Judge approves new murder charges against man in case of slain Indiana teens
- Forced sale of TikTok absolutely could happen before Election Day, Rep. Mike Gallagher says
- Are banks, post offices, UPS and FedEx open on Veterans Day? Here's what to know
- Former Mississippi Archives and History department leader Elbert Hilliard dies at age 87
- Man pleads guilty to murder in Hawaii after killing lover and encasing his body in tub
- Pink Shares Hilarious Glimpse at Family Life With Kids Willow and Jameson
Recommendation
-
Missouri prosecutor says he won’t charge Nelly after an August drug arrest
-
Missing NC mother, 2 young children found murdered in Charlotte, suspect arrested: Police
-
Beauty YouTuber Jessica Pettway Dead at 36 After Cervical Cancer Battle
-
'American Idol': Past contestant Alyssa Raghu hijacks best friend's audition to snag a golden ticket
-
When is 'The Golden Bachelorette' finale? Date, time, where to watch Joan Vassos' big decision
-
Former Nickelodeon TV show creator Dan Schneider denies toxic workplace allegations
-
Federal court rules firearm restrictions on defendants awaiting trial are constitutional
-
Sports Illustrated gets new life, publishing deal takes effect immediately