Former Main League Baseball participant Steve Garvey introduced Tuesday that he’s operating for U.S. Senate in 2024 to fill the seat beforehand held by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who died earlier this month.
Garvey, a Republican, has no political background and faces lengthy odds in a state the place Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by almost 30 factors within the 2020 presidential election. However the former baseball star, who performed for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, hopes to offer him His identify recognition is a big increase.
“I performed in entrance of hundreds of thousands of followers. I by no means performed for Democrats, Republicans or Independents — I performed for all of you,” Garvey stated in his marketing campaign launch video that included a number of pictures from his baseball profession. “And now I am operating for U.S. Senate in “California, a state that I consider was as soon as the beating coronary heart of America, is now only a whimper.”
There’s already a big area of Democratic candidates hoping to succeed Feinstein, together with Reps. Katie Porter, Barbara Lee, and Adam B. Schiff.
After Feinstein’s loss of life, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) appointed LaFonza Butler to fill Feinstein’s seat for the rest of her time period, fulfilling his promise to pick a black lady within the occasion of an early emptiness. Butler was sworn in final week because the third Black senator in historical past.
Republicans haven’t gained a Senate race in California in 35 years. Nonetheless, Garvey may gain advantage from California’s nonpartisan primaries, the place all candidates are listed on the identical major poll, no matter celebration, and the highest two finishers advance to the overall election.
Garvey stated in an announcement that his marketing campaign “will give attention to problems with high quality of life, public security and training.”