MLB Legend Eyeing US Senate Seat, Could Give GOP First Victory in Decades
The last time a Republican candidate won a U.S. Senate race in deep-blue California, the seminal cult classic horror movie “They Live” was still playing in select theaters.
The year was 1988 and the senator was incumbent Pete Wilson, who held off Democrat Leo T. McCarthy in the Senate race.
Since then, California Democrats have consistently mopped the floor with their Republican counterparts in U.S. Senate races, and that comes as little surprise given just how blue the Golden State is.
After decades of losing, undeterred Republicans soon might have their best shot yet at ending this losing streak.
The year will be 2024 and the potential GOP candidate is MLB legend Steve Garvey.
Garvey, who starred for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres during an illustrious 19-year career — including 10 All-Star berths, four Gold Gloves, a World Series ring and a league MVP award — has met with “senior GOP officials” about a Senate bid, ABC News reported Thursday.
“He is seriously considering entering the race,” said Andy Gharakhani, a veteran consultant who is advising the legendary first baseman.
Garvey, however, is noncommital.
“I have been approached to run for office and am exploring that. No announcement is imminent,” he said in a statement released by a Dodgers representative.
Should the 74-year-old baseball great enter the race, he will be chasing a highly publicized and hotly contested seat.
It currently belongs to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the 89-year-old Democrat who has announced that she is not seeking another term amid mounting questions about her health.
According to ABC News, there are some heavy hitters on the Democratic side of the ledger vying for the seat — though those heavy hitters aren’t without some warts.
California Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee have already thrown their names into the hat to replace Feinstein.
Porter and Lee are reliably liberal Democrats who are well-known in their districts.
Schiff, meanwhile, has become a virtual household name thanks to his highly publicized clashes with then-President Donald Trump, especially during the first impeachment.
Trump bestowed the less-than-flattering nickname of “Pencil-Neck” on Schiff during the height of the vitriol between the two. The congressman, meanwhile, has never been shy about his excessive disdain for Trump either.
On the Republican side, attorney Eric Early announced his bid in April.
Garvey, meanwhile, is largely known for his “Mr. Clean” good-guy image (aside from his well-publicized marital issues in 1988), and some Republicans see him as a strong challenger for the seat.
“I think Steve Garvey would be one of the most interesting and dynamic candidates for a statewide office Republicans have had in decades,” Republican National Committeeman Shawn Steel told ABC News.
“He’s good on the stump … and he reminds me of a Reagan-esque approach,” Steel added, referring to former Republican President Ronald Reagan, another Californian.
While every election season gets heated, given what’s at stake and who could potentially be involved in the 2024 cycle, next year’s election season is shaping up to be explosive.
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