Poll: GOP’s Steve Garvey Leads Adam Schiff in Calif. Senate Race

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Steve Garvey took the lead in a primary poll of the Golden State, surpassing both California Democrat Reps. Adam Schiff and Katie Porter in the race to replace late Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

The University of California Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, in partnership with the Los Angeles Times, found in a new poll that Garvey, a former Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, has taken the lead with just over one-in-four likely voters saying they supported his campaign.

• Garvey: 27%
• Schiff: 25%
• Porter: 19%

No other candidate garnered more than 10% support. The top two vote-getters move on to November’s general election.

A previous poll from the same institute released last month found Garvey with just 13% and lagging behind both Schiff and Porter.

Politico notes that the race, which is now the most expensive Senate race in California’s history, will likely see historically low turnout during the upcoming primary.

The February poll also found that in a head-to-head matchup, Schiff would hold a strong lead over Garvey, with 53% to the Republican’s 38% with 9% undecided. Porter would also hold a strong lead over Garvey, 52% to 38% with 10% undecided. If Porter and Schiff were to face off head-to-head, the vote would be evenly split with each candidate receiving 30% of the vote and 40% undecided.

The Berkeley IGS Poll surveyed 3,304 likely voters from Feb. 22-27, with a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points.