Republican and former baseball star Steve Garvey is gaining momentum in the California Senate race as the March 5 primary nears.
A new poll from Emerson College, Nexstar and Inside California Politics shows Garvey firmly in second place in the race, which would send him to the November election.
The big picture: The poll has Rep. Adam Schiff (D–Burbank) in the lead with 25 percent support, putting him well above his fellow Democrat rivals.
- Garvey, who played 19 years in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, is at 18 percent in the poll.
- Rep. Katie porter (D–Irvine) placed in third at 13 percent, while Rep. Barbara Lee (D–Oakland) trailed behind at eight percent.
- Republicans Eric Early and James Bradley came in at three percent and two percent, respectively.
State of play: Shiff and Garvey have made major gains since the last Emerson College poll from last November.
- While Schiff still led the pack in the previous poll, he only held a three percent lead over porter. His support has increased by nine percent in the latest poll.
- Garvey had barely been in third place in the previous poll from last November, coming in behind Porter and just ahead of Lee, but his support has increased by eight points in just two months.
What they’re saying: “Everywhere we go, the excitement for Steve Garvey is palpable,” said Garvey campaign spokesman Matt Shupe. “As Californians reconnect with Steve Garvey and embrace his message of compassionate, commonsense solutions for the everyday issues they face, coupled with his commitment to building political consensus, we anticipate seeing even more support for his campaign. The dynamics of this election are clearly evolving into a race to beat Steve Garvey.”
