Rep. Adam Schiff wins California's Senate race to fill the late Dianne Feinstein's seat
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) has been elected to the U.S. Senate seat long held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein following a race against Republican political newcomer and former Major League Baseball player Steve Garvey.
Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed labor leader and former EMILY's List president Laphonza Butler to the post last fall following Feinstein's death at 90 in September 2023. But Butler announced shortly afterwards she would not seek a full term.
Feinstein's unexpired term ends in early January. Schiff and Garvey were running against each other in a special election for the remaining few weeks of that term in addition to the general election for a full Senate term that begins Jan. 3, 2025.
Who is Rep. Adam Schiff?
Schiff, who led the first impeachment trial of then-President Donald Trump as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has become known in national politics as one of Trump's most outspoken critics.
He worked for years as a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles before launching his political career with an unsuccessful run for state Assembly in 1994 before he was elected to the California state Senate in 1995. He served in the Legislature until 2000, when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Schiff is currently serving his 12th term in the House, representing California's 30th Congressional District, which encompasses parts of the greater Los Angeles area from Burbank and Pasadena to the mid-Wilshire area and West Hollywood.
Who is Steve Garvey?
Garvey, a former Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star and San Diego Padres player who has not held public office, entered the crowded race in October of last year and joined Schiff as top vote-getters in California's top-two primary.
As a supporter of Trump, Garvey has voted for him multiple times but has also downplayed his connection to him and marketed himself as a moderate Republican.
Where do Schiff and Garvey stand on California issues?
On the issue of housing costs in California — the top concern among the state's voters in CBS News' Super Tuesday exit polls — Schiff has called for more homebuilding and for creating a federal renters' tax credit as well as a federal fund for legal action defending tenants' rights, among other policy proposals.
During the only fall debate in the Senate race, the longtime Democratic congressman said there needs to be direct federal investment in affordable housing as well as funding at the state level.
"We need to build a lot more housing in California," he said. "We can incentivize the development of housing. We can help break this log jam, and we're going to have to. The problem will not solve itself."
Garvey has advocated for a more hands-off approach, saying during the debate that there is potential for the government to become "over involved" and Schiff's ideas are costly.
"Let's get back to a free market," he said, calling for a cutback of government regulations to lower living costs.
"I think this gets back to more of a local issue," Garvey said during the debate with regard to increasing housing in California.
Where Schiff and Garvey stand on immigration, crime and gun control
Although Schiff and Garvey have clashed over immigration, both have called for tougher security along the U.S.-Mexico border. Garvey's campaign has proposed an across-the-board ban on asylum claims for those who enter the country illegally. Meanwhile, Schiff has advocated for comprehensive immigration reform that would create a pathway to citizenship for some, such as the state's farmworkers and Dreamers, who enter the U.S. unlawfully as children.
Garvey supports California Proposition 36, which would increase penalties for drug possession and theft crimes, and has advocated for tougher criminal penalties and holding prosecutors accountable for how they handle cases. He backs increasing funding to hire more law enforcement officers.
Schiff also supports increasing funding for law enforcement and has called for a community-based policing approach, raising concerns in the past about police misconduct and race relations in the criminal justice system. In addressing public safety, he has pointed to his past efforts including helping secure millions in federal funding to clear a decade-old backlog of rape kits in unsolved cases in the crime labs of the Los Angeles Police Department and LA County Sheriff's Department.
When it comes to gun control, Schiff has said there should be a ban on assault weapons and other stricter laws, vowing to stand up to lobbying groups like the National Rifle Association. Garvey, who describes himself as a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, said during the fall debate that he would support "stringent" background checks for buying firearms.
He previously told CalMatters he supports an assault weapons ban but didn't mention that at the debate.
As for abortion, Garvey has said he would support the will of Californians, who voted to add abortion and reproductive rights to the state's constitution in 2022.
"I pledge to support the voice of Californians," he said at the debate, later adding, "I am a Catholic. I believe in life. I believe in life at conception."
Schiff has advocated for full federal legalization of abortion.
"Reproductive freedom is a human right," he said following Garvey's response at the debate.
