The most recent polling data on the California Senate race for the former seat of late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) reveals that Republican Steve Garvey is leading ahead of all Democratic candidates.
The competitive race features numerous prominent Democrats vying for the party’s nomination in the upcoming general election. Despite this, GOP contender and ex-professional baseball player Garvey managed to edge out Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and other left-leaning House members in a recent poll.
Schiff is currently in the lead among the Democratic candidates in the Senate primary, competing against Reps. Katie Porter (D-CA) and Barbara Lee (D-CA). Based on a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies/Los Angeles Times survey released on Friday, Garvey garnered 27% support from likely California voters, surpassing the other candidates.
The poll indicates that Schiff received 25% support, followed by Porter at 19% and Lee at 8%. The survey shows that the Republican candidate has seen a 14-point increase since January. On the other hand, Schiff’s support has risen by four points, Porter’s by two points, and Lee’s has decreased by one point.
The candidates are competing for Feinstein’s former Senate seat. The seat is currently held by Laphonza Butler, a radical leftist and former president of the pro-abortion organization EMILY’s List. The poll suggests that Garvey and Schiff are likely to advance to the general election as the top two candidates in the Senate primary on Tuesday, leaving Porter and Lee behind.
However, in a hypothetical matchup, Schiff would defeat Garvey by a margin of 53% to 38%, according to the survey. The poll also indicates that 9% of likely voters are still undecided. Schiff and Porter would engage in a highly competitive general election if they were to face each other, according to the poll. The survey revealed that both candidates were tied at 30%, while 40% of the respondents remained undecided about their preferred choice.
“I am deeply humbled by the trust and support shown by Californians in this latest poll,” Garvey said in a statement.
“This demonstrates that our message of addressing the real issues that Californians care about with compassionate, common-sense solutions is resonating more than the tired political bickering of career politicians.
“It’s clear that people are ready for new leadership that brings us together to build a brighter future for California.”
The UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies/Los Angeles Times poll conducted a survey of 3,304 likely California voters from February 22 to February 27. The poll has a margin of error of ±2%.
The Democratic vote has been divided among the three prominent House members in the blue state, resulting in a costly competition for the top spot. According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings, Schiff is leading the Democratic field in fundraising with $31.4 million, surpassing Porter’s $28 million and Lee’s $5 million.
The congressman has significantly outspent both of his colleagues, with expenditures totaling $38.7 million this cycle. Schiff enters the primary with more cash on hand than Porter and Lee combined.
Garvey, who entered the race on October 10, has raised $2.1 million for the campaign, as per FEC data. He has spent $1.4 million and currently holds $758,260 in hard dollars.