Photo: Alamy
Former Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey announced Tuesday that he is campaigning to become a California senator. Garvey said in a Fox News Digital interview has been approached in the past by Democrats and Republicans about running, but Garvey declined, saying it was not the right time to run for office.
Garvey cited his belief that it is “time for a fresh voice with fresh ideas..it’s time for me to stand up and represent the people of California.”
Now with the passing of longtime California Senator Dianne Feinstein, the Senate seat is being temporarily filled by Laphonza Butler, D-Calif. Butler is a former advisor to Kamala Harris and president of EMILY’s List, a PAC that focuses on electing Democrat pro-choice women to political office.
It remains unclear if Butler will campaign in 2024 to keep her Senate seat. Several California Democrats, including Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, and Barbara Lee, are campaigning to win the seat in 2024.
Besides Garvey, running for Feinstein’s seat on the Republican side are candidates James Bradley and Dr. Sarah Sun Liew, in addition to 2020 congressional candidate Eric Early and 2022 congressional candidate Jonathan Reiss.
The California Senate race has a crowded field, but Garvey stands out among the competition. In the video that launched his campaign, Garvey declares his belief that California was “at one time was the heartbeat of America, and now is just a murmur.”
As well as being a pro baseball player, Garvey seems to want to run a campaign that appeals to California voters and their unique needs as he expresses an underlying frustration with California’s negligence in helping its citizens.
