The one head-to-head debate in California’s high-stakes U.S. Senate race between Rep. Adam B. Schiff and former Dodger Steve Garvey was dominated Tuesday by contentious exchanges on a number of nationwide political points — from immigration to the financial system, increasing battle within the Center East, reproductive healthcare and international warming.
The sharpest exchanges, nevertheless, associated to the 2 candidates’ vastly completely different stances on former President Trump.
Schiff, a Burbank Democrat with greater than 20 years of expertise within the Home and a commanding lead within the polls, solid Garvey as an inexperienced Trump backer who would push conservative fairly than Californian values in Washington.
Californians, Schiff quipped, are “not looking for some MAGA mini-me in a baseball uniform.”
Garvey, a Palm Desert Republican with no political expertise however excessive title recognition from his days as a Main League Baseball star, urged Schiff was too caught up in occasion politics and his vendetta in opposition to Trump to give attention to the problems most vital to California voters.
“How can you think about one man every day and focus on that when you’ve got millions of people in California to take care of?” Garvey stated. “I think it’s unconscionable.”
The talk was testy from the beginning. When Schiff in his first remarks accused Garvey of turning a blind eye to the worst impulses of Trump — who Schiff stated desires to “be a dictator on Day One” — Garvey replied, borrowing a well-known Ronald Reagan line utilized in a 1980 presidential debate, “There you go again.”
Throughout a separate alternate on immigration, through which Schiff accused Garvey of supporting Trump’s plan for mass deportations, Garvey stated, “One of the two of us is honest and straightforward.”
“I would agree with that,” Schiff shot again.
The talk provided a ultimate probability for the 2 candidates to sq. off in public earlier than voters determine between them within the November election. Californians might be requested to vote twice within the Senate race: First, to decide on Schiff or Garvey to serve out the rest of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s ultimate time period, which ends in early January, and, individually, who ought to serve a subsequent six-year Senate time period.
Tuesday’s debate was the primary since Garvey and Schiff received the 2 highest totals of votes in a extra crowded major discipline, through which Schiff bested Democratic rivals Reps. Katie Porter of Irvine and Barbara Lee of Oakland. Polls present Schiff with a considerable lead over Garvey.
Trump loomed over immigration debate
Moderators of the fast-paced, hour-long debate — hosted by KABC-TV in partnership with Univision and the League of Girls Voters — requested Schiff and Garvey a number of questions on immigration and border safety.
Schiff stated the nation must “get control of the border” with extra personnel and expertise to interdict folks and medicines. However it additionally wants a “comprehensive immigration policy” that treats folks humanely and offers aid for farmworkers and undocumented individuals who arrived within the U.S. as youngsters.
And he blasted Garvey for backing Trump, saying Trump’s plan is for mass deportations that can devastate the nation and immigrant communities.
“You’re voting for mass deportations when you say you’re for Donald Trump,” Schiff stated.
Garvey stated his marketing campaign has targeted closely on Latino communities. He additionally stated border safety must be vastly enhanced. He stated Schiff, alongside President Biden, had created an “existential crisis” by backing an “open border.”
“What we have to do is secure the border. We have to finish off the wall. We have to reinstate ‘remain in Mexico,’” Garvey stated. “We have to reinforce our border patrol. We have to get back to building facilities at the border that will detain these illegal immigrants, then a judicial system that will will try them.”
A document variety of folks have been stopped on the U.S.-Mexico border through the Biden-Harris administration, and Republicans throughout the nation — together with Garvey — are pushing to make border safety a marketing campaign legal responsibility for Democrats.
“A lot of Americans are concerned about immigration,” stated Mindy Romero, the founding father of the Middle for Inclusive Democracy at USC. “The reason why Republicans are talking about it so much is because it works.”
Whereas Garvey’s possibilities of successful the Senate race are low given how deeply blue California voters are general, Romero stated, he’s nonetheless the highest-ranking Republican on the poll after Trump — and what Garvey says about immigration might nonetheless matter for Republicans.
“In California, we’re not a monolith and we’re not all in sync on this issue,” Romero stated. “What Garvey says and does could help motivate and mobilize Republicans.”
Garvey struggled to state a transparent place on abortion
The moderators sought, with out success, to carry readability to Garvey’s place on abortion rights.
He has stated that he personally opposes abortion and wouldn’t help a federal ban on abortion.
“I am a Catholic,” Garvey stated Tuesday night time. “I believe in life at conception. I believe that God breathes a soul into these fetuses. So I am steadfast in terms of my policies on abortion, and also pledge to support all the people of California.”
However Garvey additionally pledged to “support the voice of Californians.” He stated he supported the modification enshrining a proper to abortion within the state Structure that two-thirds of Golden State voters supported in 2022 after the Supreme Courtroom overturned Roe v. Wade.
If Garvey is “listening to the voices of Californians like he claims, he would hear their voices loud and clear,” Schiff stated. “Californians want a national right to reproductive freedom and they don’t want the government in the business of making that decision for women.”
Schiff has been a longtime vocal advocate for entry to abortion companies, and stated Tuesday that he helps establishing a nationwide proper to abortion entry.
A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Research ballot in early August, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Instances, discovered that greater than half of doubtless California voters surveyed — 52% — stated electing somebody who “would be a strong voice in defending abortion rights in the Senate” was essential to them.
Variations on authorities’s function on the financial system
The variations in how Schiff and Garvey see the function of presidency was totally on show once they have been pressed on tips on how to handle the rising price of products and housing.
“We’re much worse off than we were four years ago,” Garvey stated. He stated he supported extra free-market insurance policies, and knocked Schiff for what he described as “Schiff-flation.”
Housing is an area concern and extra federal regulation might result in the federal government being “overinvolved,” Garvey stated.
Requested how he would assist renters, he stated he’d achieve this by getting the U.S. financial system “roaring again.”
Schiff stated he would help extra direct federal spending on housing, and in addition to an growth of Part 8 vouchers, a authorities subsidy that allows eligible tenants to search out housing with non-public landlords. He additionally proposed a “renter’s tax credit,” akin to the tax deduction that permits householders to jot down off their mortgage curiosity funds.
Garvey stated he would help tariffs on imported items shipped by “a company that threatens the success of an American company.” However, he stated, he would like to see decrease home taxes to foster extra small companies and cut back the necessity to import overseas items.
Schiff stated he doesn’t help Trump’s “across-the-board tariffs,” which he stated would result in greater costs for customers. He stated he would help “targeted tariffs” when China dumps low-cost items into the nation “to try to drive American businesses out of business.”
Feinstein’s legacy stirs debate
All through the talk, the political specter of the lady whose seat Schiff and Garvey are vying for loomed giant.
Proper out of the gate, KABC anchor and moderator Marc Brown introduced up Feinstein having authored an assault weapons ban in 1994, and requested Garvey whether or not he would take any motion on weapons have been he elected.
“I believe in the Constitution, I believe in the Second Amendment. I believe it will never be overturned, nor should we attempt to overturn that,” Garvey stated. “I do have sympathy for all of those who may have been victims of shootings, but I think that the most important thing is a stringent background check that goes much deeper than it is today, in order to to preserve the integrity of the Second Amendment and to be able to provide for people to defend themselves.”
Schiff stated Californians want leaders like Feinstein who’re prepared to “stand up to” the Nationwide Rifle Assn.
“I would support an assault weapons ban. I would support extended and universal background checks. I would support a ban on extended ammunition clips and my own bill, which would strip away the NRA’s immunity from liability,” Schiff stated. “Mr. Garvey was asked just a couple weeks ago if he would support any gun control measure, and his answer was unequivocal, no, that is not what Californians are looking for. Californians want a leader like Dianne Feinstein, who will stand up to the NRA.”
Later within the debate, Feinstein got here up once more, on the difficulty of environmental laws — and whether or not Schiff would ease water restrictions on farmers.
Schiff stated he wouldn’t “support eviscerating” laws, however would do what Sen. Feinstein did, which is “look for those opportunities where we can have a win, both for our farms, our cities and our environment.”
Garvey stated environmentalists within the state have to work with farmers, and that he’s a “consensus builder” who might help make that occur. He known as water the “platinum issue in California,” and one Schiff doesn’t know tips on how to repair.
Schiff would later evoke Feinstein’s title on the financial system, saying he realizes many in California are struggling financially and that he’ll work with “community leaders and stakeholders in every part of this Golden State” in “Feinstein’s model.”
“Mr. Schiff, you’re no Dianne Feinstein,” Garvey stated. “I remember when this state was the heartbeat of America, and now it’s just a murmur.”
Schiff, in response, stated Feinstein was a pal of his, and would by no means “pretend to be the equal” of hers, as a result of she was a “giant.” However he urged he’s way more much like Feinstein than Garvey.
“While Mr. Garvey was signing baseballs for the last 37 years, I was seeing presidents of both parties and governors of both parties sign my bills into law,” Schiff stated.
Again to Trump
After the talk, in small gaggles with reporters, each Schiff and Garvey got here again to a different politician not within the room: Trump.
Schiff stated it was clear from the talk that Garvey is “for Trump” and his agenda.
“He’s for states being able to ban abortion. He’s against any form of gun safety legislation. He’s for opening up the oil spigots. These are views right out of Project 2025 and Trump, but they are not in sync in California,” Schiff stated.
Garvey stated he felt he had been unfairly tied to Trump.
“People know that we’re two entirely different people,” he stated.
He stated Schiff’s try to “paint me far-right” wouldn’t arise, as a result of “people know I’m conservatively moderate.”
Garvey declined to say whether or not he would vote for Trump in November, however confirmed that he voted for Trump for a 3rd time on this yr’s major.
