California election: Race for U.S. Senate pits Schiff against Garvey. What to know
Voters across California will choose a candidate for U.S. Senate who enjoys spirited debate, deliberating on presidential appointments and sometimes passing actual legislation. The choice comes down to Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey.
There are two separate elections: One to pick who will serve out the term ending in January 2025, and a second to decide who will fill the seat for six years. The position pays $174,000 per year.
About Steve Garvey
Garvey, 75, was born in Tampa, Florida. His father was a bus driver, and his mother a secretary in an insurance firm. As a child, Garvey was a bat boy for the Brooklyn Dodgers, the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers.
Garvey played football and baseball at Michigan State University before joining the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1969 and then the San Diego Padres in 1982. He retired in 1987 and still holds the fourth-longest consecutive game streak in MLB history.
He started a marketing firm, hosted radio shows and starred in TV series. He also helped fundraise for GOP candidates, including Presidents George Bush and Ronald Reagan. He became a motivational speaker, charging roughly $25,000 in at least one case.
But his post-baseball career was overshadowed partly by scandals, lawsuits and financial troubles — problems Garvey deemed his “midlife disaster.” In 1989, he was romantically involved with three women at once and impregnated two, both of whom sued. Garvey told courts repeatedly he was deep in debt and was late on payments large and small to his gardener, caterer and attorneys, The Los Angeles Times reported in 2006.
Garvey, who flirted with a U.S. Senate run as early as 1981, has promised not to restrict abortion rights, supports private investment in transitional housing for homeless people and pledges to fight “out-of-control inflation.” A two-time supporter of Donald Trump, Garvey has refused to express an opinion on the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
About Rep. Adam Schiff
Born in Massachusetts in 1960, Schiff settled in Alamo, California, with his father, a Democratic clothing salesman, and his mother, a Republican real estate agent. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Stanford University and a law degree from Harvard.
Schiff had a brief career in law after graduating, clerking for the judge who presided over the Pentagon Papers case and prosecuting a former federal agent for sharing secret intel with a Soviet Union spy for sex and cash.
Schiff ventured into California politics in 1996 as the youngest state senator at the time. In 2000, voters sent him to Congress. Starting as a member of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, the 63-year-old has rebranded himself as a progressive in recent years, vowing to improve housing affordability, protect labor rights and provide undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship.
He hasn’t been immune from controversy: For years, Schiff has claimed primary residence for both his home in Potomac, Md., and a condo in Burbank, CNN reported. His spokesperson said he claimed both loan purposes, to distinguish them from vacation properties.
Schiff, Garvey on the economy and inflation
While California and the rest of the nation hasn’t sunk into recession, inflation remains stubbornly high, rising to an annual rate of 3.4% in December from 3.1%. And polls show that despite some job growth and wage gains, Californians are still anxious about their personal finances and pessimistic about what lies ahead in 2024.
Name three concrete policies you support the federal government implementing to reduce inflation.
Schiff: First, we must attack the increased cost of goods in each sector of our economy by addressing scarcity: Dramatically expanding our supply of affordable housing by increasing housing federal investments and tax credits, boosting the production of renewable sources of energy, expanding the number of healthcare professionals, and increasing the supply of affordable childcare. Second, we need to increase competition. Increased antitrust enforcement against consolidation will help bring prices down. Third, we must lower the costs of medicine by letting the government negotiate the prices of all prescription drugs, allowing the reimportation of prescription medication, and passing Medicare for All.
Garvey: As a U.S. senator, reducing inflation would be my primary focus as it helps the affordability crisis facing so many hardworking families across California and the nation. A few ways to combat inflation are to oppose new federal spending, stand up to higher tax increases and regulations that will drive up the cost of living on everyday goods and services, and streamline burdensome regulations that can stifle economic growth and increase production costs. This also includes eliminating excessive regulations as it relates to new home construction.
How do you define “good-paying jobs,” and what three specific actions will you take in the Senate to bring those jobs to California?
Schiff: A good-paying job is one that allows workers to afford to live close to where they work, access quality healthcare, childcare and generous leave, and the ability to retire with dignity. In the Senate, I’ll fight to pass the PRO Act so workers have access to strong union jobs, secure SBA funding so that more businesses start here and stay here, support the innovation economy so critical to California’s future, expand childcare investments, and push for an Apollo project-like initiative to create millions of green jobs. And I will work to bring jobs lost overseas back to the United States.
Garvey: Good-paying jobs are employment opportunities that offer competitive wages and benefits, ensuring blue-collar workers can afford food and to keep a roof over their head, while also offering opportunities for career advancement. Three things we can do to attract businesses back to California would be to eliminate burdensome regulations that make it difficult for businesses to operate, reduce the state’s corporate income tax rate, and provide incentives for new small businesses, like reducing taxes for their first year. I will also support federal incentives for research and development activities to ensure California remains at the forefront of developing cutting-edge technology.
Schiff, Garvey on housing and homelessness
California’s affordable housing crisis only deepened during the pandemic. And California has the most homeless individuals of any state — more than 171,000 as of 2023, despite more than $20 billion in spending since 2018. With rising public concern about homelessness, California cities are hoping a case before the U.S. Supreme Court will give them more leeway to clear homeless encampments. A ballot measure in March would allow the state to borrow $6.4 billion more to build treatment beds for those with mental illness, including those living on the street.
What do you think is the biggest driving factor of California’s homelessness problem?
Schiff: The twin crises of housing affordability and homelessness are inextricably tied together. A lack of supply of affordable housing is the single biggest driver of the homelessness crisis, even as it is also the single greatest challenge to working and middle-class families when they try to afford a place to live anywhere near where they work. We need to build significantly more housing and we need to do it expeditiously and more cost effectively.
Garvey: Unfortunately, drug and alcohol addiction, along with mental health issues are the biggest driving factors of homelessness. It is not compassionate to let these people suffer and die on the street and we need to do more to get them the help they need.
What are three policies you believe will increase housing affordability in California?
Schiff: First, we need to increase the supply of affordable housing by expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and making a significant new federal direct investment in affordable housing. Second, we need to reduce the regulatory burden and the time it takes to build affordable housing by making sure local, state, or federal agencies respond promptly and prioritize applications to build new housing. And third, we need to strengthen protections for home buyers and remove barriers to homeownership for first-time buyers, as well as crack down on discriminatory practices that keep renters and home buyers out of the housing market.
Garvey: The housing affordability crisis is due to short supply. However, California makes it difficult for home builders to quickly construct new housing with burdensome regulations. We can tackle this by reducing regulations on new home construction, changing the zoning laws to allow for more types of housing to be built, and to increase the height of buildings to allow for more higher density housing in urban areas. The federal government can also establish financial incentives, such as tax credits or grants, for developers who focus on building affordable housing units.
Schiff, Garvey on climate change
While the drought has let up, California is facing intensifying battles over water rights, struggling to reach its goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and is counting on federal money for climate programs with the state budget deficit. The state is also confronting an increased threat of wildfires; the federal government owns the most forested land in the state.
Name three concrete policies you want to implement that would address the climate change crisis.
Schiff: First, I’ll fight to dramatically increase incentives to develop renewable energy and new technologies that make America the unrivaled leader in the green economy, and that end incentives for the fossil fuel industry that is killing us and the planet. Second, I will fight to pass the Green New Deal by getting rid of the filibuster, which will help us secure hundreds of billions more in funding for renewable energy, create millions of green jobs, and end our reliance on fossil fuels. And third, I will fight to reform the partisan Supreme Court that is hell-bent on gutting environmental protections.
Garvey: Climate change is real and is happening across the globe. Here in California, we see the effects of climate change with persistent drought, increased wildfires, and sea level rise. We must strike a balance between protecting our environment without destroying our economy and jobs. Increasing infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations is important, especially in rural areas. Additionally, we should increase federal investment in research and development of carbon capture and storage, as well as other innovative solutions. Lastly, the federal government should support sustainable land management practices, like reforestation, to sequester carbon and enhance ecosystem resilience.
Should California embrace clean energy? And if so, what will you do as Senator to incentivize the use of clean energy in the state?
Schiff: Absolutely. California has led the way, building our renewable energy sources quicker than expected, and creating a lot of new jobs in the process. We must move away from fossil fuels and transition to clean, renewable energy. The Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law made historic investments in clean energy infrastructure, but we must view these investments as just the first step. I will fight to invest in new green technologies, next generation batteries, more efficient solar systems, grid technology that incentivizes the transition to clean energy, and more.
Garvey: I support energy policy that includes a diverse mix of energy resources. We cannot rely too heavily on just one method of energy, such as solar or wind energy, that is reliant on the weather. A mix of energy resources is the most prudent approach to reducing the likelihood of future power outages and rolling blackouts. As the nation works to transition to clean energy, we must ensure we have the infrastructure available before instituting any extreme mandates.
How much have Garvey, Schiff raised for their campaigns?
A total of $14.8 million has been invested in this race, $14.8 million was contributed directly to the candidates and $19.1k in outside spending.
Schiff: $14.6 million raised
Garvey: $179,000 raised
Who has endorsed Garvey, Schiff?
Schiff:
Nine statewide unions
U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi
Former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas
Garvey:
California State Sheriff’s Association
San Diego Police Officers Association
Read more: The full U.S. Senate candidate report
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Who is running for California Senator?
