Adam Schiff holds a significant advantage in California’s Senate race, as per a recent statewide poll. The poll reveals a fierce battle between fellow Democratic Rep. Katie Porter and Republican Steve Garvey to secure a spot in the November runoff.
Despite being hit with millions of dollars in TV ads from Schiff and his super PAC in an attempt to support Garvey, the former major league player who would likely lose to Schiff in the fall, Porter is still holding strong, as indicated by the survey conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California.
The battle for the second position in the March 5 primary will ultimately determine the nature of the runoff in California. It could either be an exciting showdown between two prominent Democrats with national recognition or a lackluster partisan affair in a heavily Democratic state. Unfortunately, Garvey’s campaign has been lackluster, with minimal efforts to engage with voters and a lack of funds to launch his own television advertisements.
In the race, Schiff, a 12-term Democrat from Burbank, has emerged as the frontrunner, garnering the support of 24 percent of likely voters. Close behind are Porter and Garvey, with 19 percent and 18 percent of the vote, respectively.
Democratic Representative Barbara Lee has a standing of 10 percent.
According to Mark Baldassare, the survey director at PPIC, Garvey has emerged as a strong contender in the race and is currently in contention for the second spot. However, Baldassare also noted that Porter has maintained her support and has been running her own campaign ads.
Garvey’s popularity has seen a notable increase of 8 percent since December, while Schiff and Porter have also experienced a rise of 3 percent each.
According to other public and private polls shared with POLITICO, Garvey is gaining momentum and securing a second-place lead over Porter. Additionally, Schiff maintains a significant lead overall.
Schiff and Porter have consistently held an advantage in PPIC’s previous surveys. However, Garvey’s recent surge in popularity can be attributed to the TV and digital ads that depict him as a conservative threat to California. The Schiff campaign has cleverly implemented a strategy aimed at appealing to Republicans and undermining Porter’s support.
Billionaires in the cryptocurrency industry have shown their concerns over the possibility of Porter overregulating their business, leading to a total of more than $5 million being targeted towards her.
According to the recent survey conducted by PPIC for a week until Feb. 13, it is evident that Garvey-focused advertisements are prevalent on the airwaves and in the mailboxes of Republicans. The poll reveals that 49 percent of Republicans are inclined to vote for Garvey. On the other hand, independents are evenly divided, with 19 percent supporting Schiff, 19 percent favoring Porter, and 15 percent backing Garvey.
Schiff garners the highest level of support in the San Francisco Bay Area, with 32 percent of the population backing him. In Los Angeles, he also enjoys significant support, with 26 percent of the residents standing behind him. On the other hand, Porter’s strongest support comes from Orange and San Diego counties, where 29 percent of the locals are in favor of her.
Porter’s support is strongest among individuals under the age of 45, with 23 percent favoring her compared to Schiff’s 11 percent. On the other hand, older voters showed greater support for Schiff, with 31 percent favoring him over Garvey (22 percent) and Porter (18 percent).