California Senate Race: Schiff's Strategy May Lead to Easy Victory

According to Bloomberg, California's Senate race has been disrupted by the candidacy of Republican Steve Garvey, due to the state's "top two" system. In this system, all candidates run in a single primary, and the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election. Democrat Adam Schiff is spending an estimated $7.5 million in ads attacking Garvey, but also boosting his name recognition among GOP voters. Schiff's strategy may allow Garvey to make the November runoff, where he would likely be defeated in the heavily Democratic state. "Adam Schiff would be delighted to run against Steve Garvey, because it means the open primary is the last competitive election he has to worry about," said Jessica Levinson, director of Loyola Law School's Public Service Institute. Meanwhile, Democrat Katie Porter's hard line on the consumer and environmental impacts of crypto has led industry leaders to support her through Fairshake, a super political action committee funded by billionaire twins and Bitcoin investors. Campaigns and super PACs combined have spent $88.3 million, according to Federal Election Commission data. The race represents a generational change for California, which in 1992 became the first state to elect two female senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. After Feinstein's death, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Alex Padilla to her seat. If Schiff and Garvey advance to the November runoff, "there is a very real possibility that come next year, it could be represented by two men," said Jessica Taylor, Senate and governors editor at the Cook Political Report.