Baseball Legend Steve Garvey Up at Bat, Aiming for California’s U.S. Senate Seat
Despite the head start for Democrats in the Nov. 2024 race, undetermined future events may make it easier for Garvey to persuade Californians to vote Republican.
Legal Insurrection readers may recall that California Governor Gavin News appointed EMILY’s List President Laphonza Butler to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Dianne Feinstein, who passed away late last month. The appointment was made despite the fact Butler has not lived in California since she was appointed to the position in 2021.
While there are a number of Democrats vying for the Senate seat, there has been an interesting turn on the Republican side.
Baseball great Steve Garvey announced Tuesday that he is running as a Republican to be the next senator from California. He enters a crowded race currently dominated by Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee.
“Our campaign is focused on quality-of-life issues, public safety, and education,” Garvey said in a statement.
“As a U.S. Senator, I will serve with commonsense, compassion, and will work to build consensus to benefit all of the people of California.” Garvey played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1987. He also chaired the Multiple Sclerosis Society and worked with a variety of causes including the Special Olympics, the Blind Children Center, United Way and Ronald McDonald House.
“I’ve been fortunate to wear many hats in my life — from professional athlete to businessman to philanthropist. But the one thing that has remained consistent is my love for this great state and my desire to make a difference,” Garvey said.
Despite his fame in baseball, Garvey appears to be facing long odds.
Mr. Garvey will be running against at least three Democrats: Representatives Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff.
A poll released last month by The Los Angeles Times and the University of California, Berkeley, found that if Mr. Garvey entered the race, he would start in a distant third place, tied with Ms. Lee, but trailing Mr. Schiff and Ms. Porter by double digits. Laphonza Butler, the Democrat who was appointed to complete Ms. Feinstein’s term, has not said whether she will run next year.
…California’s electoral system is unusual in that it does not have separate Democratic and Republican primaries; the top two candidates in the first round of voting, regardless of their affiliation, will advance to the November 2024 general election. That means the general election could feature two Democrats and no Republicans, an outcome well within the realm of possibility in a state as blue as California.
If Mr. Garvey did make it to the general election, he would face long odds. California has not elected a Republican to the Senate in more than 30 years.
I am really not looking forward to having to decide between Schiff and Porter in November 2024. So, I wish Garvey lots of success. Other Californians seem quite skeptical of his chances for other reasons other than the Democrats’ head start.
He was "Mr. Clean" as a ballplayer but Democrats are totally ruthless.
They're probably lining up the lawsuits and useful idiots to atart making wild claims about his past as we are commenting.
I hope he's ready for what's coming.
— Ed LaRose (@metaphorsbwithu) October 10, 2023
I will simply note that undetermined future events may make it easier for Garvey to persuade Californians to vote Republican. I know that I didn’t have “beheading babies” on my news bingo card at the end of last week.
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Didn’t he have a paternity suit against him back in the day when he played for San Diego? I just remember the “Steve Garvey is not my Padre” bumper stickers. I am sure they could us that against him, though not nearly as scandalous these days.
Ma, Ma, where’s my pa?
Went to the Senate ha ha ha.
Note that Cleveland may not have actually been the baby’s father. He may have stepped up because he was the only single man among the mother’s friends.
At any rate, even if he was the father he was not admitting to adultery, because neither he nor the mother were married. As far as I know the first president whom we now know to have been an adulterer was Harding; and the first president whose adultery was public knowledge at the time of his election was… (I’ll leave that as an exercise for the reader).
I hope he has more luck than the Dodgers.
Be interesting what Cindy has to say about this.
“ I am really not looking forward to having to decide between Schiff and Porter in November 2024.”
So? Who is your pick? I want to know who to support with the 27 mail-in ballots I got with yesterday’s mail here in Tennessee.
Long odds but you don’t make 100% of the shots you refuse to take. If the GoP voters and GoP leans in CA will get up off the depressing ‘we can’t win so Ima stay home and not vote BS’ (which only ensures a loss) then there’s an opportunity. Make it a referendum on stupid d/prog policies that have destroyed the economy, boosted crime, raised the price of everything and weakened the Nation.
GoP should build it’s own ballot harvesting machine.
The GoP must absolutely incorporate the lawful practices each State has incorporated into elections regime. Not doing so is applying a foolish handicap to the effort to defeat the d/prog. Keep it within the rules but use every lawful means within the election rules of each State.
The question is, is he going to be the ONLY pick on the R primary ballot?
It was a disaster the last time California Republicans “backed celebrity over principle.”
If it’s him or a Democrat, fine. If there are other Republican choices, take your time.
California is, I think, a “top two” state, so there is no “Republican” ballot.
Yer right, I forgot California became a literal jungle years ago.
You gotta put someone on the ballot to have a shot. Sometimes lightning does strike.
A nation turns its lonely eyes to you