Rep. Adam Schiff is on his way to winning California’s U.S. Senate seat, early returns showed Tuesday night.
The Associated Press called the race for Schiff against former Dodgers star Steve Garvey as soon as the polls closed in California.
LIVE ELECTION RESULTS: See a chart of the latest vote counts
California voters were tasked this year to do something they rarely do: choose someone completely new to represent the state in the U.S. Senate.
Related: Rep. Adam Schiff and Steve Garvey face off in California’s US Senate race. Meet the candidates
Garvey, a Republican, and Schiff, a Democrat, vied for the seat long held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died in September 2023. Sen. Laphonza Butler, who was appointed to the seat by Gov. Gavin Newsom, decided not to run for it.
And Feinstein’s death is why the race is on Californians’ ballots twice.
On the ballot is the contest for the regular six-year Senate term that begins in 2025 and a special one to serve the remainder of what would have been Feinstein’s term.
Schiff is in the lead in both races.
Schiff was heavily favored to win the election, polls showed ahead of Election Day. The longtime congressman spent the final days before Tuesday campaigning for other Democrats — in Southern California and out of state.
Garvey, meanwhile, launched what his campaign is calling an “all-in Latino community strategy” in the final stretch. The plan included at least $5 million in ad buys, including on Spanish-language stations, that target Latino voters.
Schiff, 64, has represented an L.A.-area district since 2001. He’s an attorney and former state senator who launched his Senate bid only after talking with Feinstein, who had planned to retire at the end of her term. Schiff saw his national name ID increase in recent years as he led former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial, participated in the prime-time Jan. 6 insurrection hearings and became an expert on intelligence.
Garvey, on the other hand, has been more politically active on the sidelines. He played 14 seasons with the Dodgers before finishing with five seasons with the San Diego Padres. But Garvey, 75, has advocated for fitness-related bills in Washington and considered a political career after his retirement from baseball in 1987, though he was sidetracked by issues in his personal life.
The former Dodgers star got some good news Monday when he was announced as a candidate for baseball’s Hall of Fame on the ballot of eight former players who will be considered by the group’s classic era committee Dec. 8.
Schiff and Garvey emerged from the March primary in a field that also included two of Schiff’s fellow Democratic members of Congress: Katie Porter of Irvine and Barbara Lee of Oakland.
Garvey was running to become the first Republican to represent California in the Senate since John Seymour, who lost to Feinstein in 1992. The winner will serve alongside Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Pacoima, who was appointed in 2021 to fill the seat left open when Vice President Kamala Harris was elected.
The secretary of state will continue to release tallies until all votes are counted. Continue to check back here for updates.
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