In the race to fill the vacant seat left by the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, Republican Steve Garvey has secured a spot in California's general election.
He will be up against Democratic Representative Adam Schiff. Representatives Barbara Lee and Katie Porter were also contenders in this race.
The final vote count for each candidate remains uncertain and may take days or even weeks to finalize due to California's notoriously slow vote counting process.
Garvey's performance in the special election, held to determine who will complete Feinstein's term, was even more impressive. In this race, he was one of only seven candidates. Laphonza Butler had been appointed to serve until the special election could be held.
Garvey addressed his enthusiastic supporters around 9:30 on Tuesday night, declaring, "Welcome to the California comeback." He further rallied his supporters, saying, "What you all are feeling tonight is what it's like to hit a walk-off home run. Keep in mind, this is the first game of a double-header, so keep the evening of November 5 open, as we will celebrate again."
Despite Schiff's attempts to portray Garvey, a popular figure among California's baseball fans, as an extremist, Garvey used his victory speech to connect with ordinary Californians. He reached out to those struggling to make ends meet, those concerned about violent crime, and those worried about the porous border with Mexico, inviting them to join his campaign.
Given the Democrats' registration advantage, Garvey faces a significant challenge to be competitive in the fall. The last Republican to serve in the U.S. Senate from California was Pete Wilson, who held office from 1983 to 1991. Although a Republican was on the ballot for California's last U.S. Senate election in 2022, for a decade prior, only Democrats were on the general election ballot for U.S. Senate. Therefore, the advancement of any Republican to the general is a victory in itself and will undoubtedly boost turnout for down-ballot races.
In a final note of victory for Republicans, two of the most extreme Democrats in Congress, Barbara Lee and Katie Porter, will not be returning after this session of the House of Representatives. This is indeed good news for conservatives.
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