3 takeaways from the California Senate debate

(From left) Reps. Barbara Lee, Adam Schiff, and Katie Porter, and former baseball player Steve Garvey debate in Los Angeles on Jan. 22, 2024.

The three California House Democrats running for Senate don’t just agree on most of the issues they’ve faced in Washington, now they agree on something else: Their Republican rival Steve Garvey is an empty suit.

Reps. Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff, described the former Los Angeles Dodger first baseman — who has never sought elective office — as “patronizing,” “minor league” and devoid of specifics during the first debate between the top four candidates Monday in Los Angeles.

While the three Democrats pointed out the differences between one another — particularly over earmarks — they saved their toughest shots for Garvey. Part of that is existential. Garvey has largely pulled even with them in the latest polls despite barely campaigning until the last couple of weeks and offering few specifics on anything, whether it be housing or climate or whether he’d vote for the likely Republican nominee for president, Donald Trump.

The top two finishers in the March 5 primary, regardless of party, will advance to the general election in November. If Garvey can consolidate much of the 24% of registered GOP voters behind him, he could scoot past one of the Democrats, who will be dividing the Democratic vote.

Months of campaign sniping poured out during Monday’s 90-minute debate, sponsored by FoxLA, Politico and the University of Southern California. While the political nerd class has been following this race since the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein announced nearly a year ago that she wouldn’t be seeking reelection, most Californians are just tuning in, awakened by Porter and Schiff’s ads popping up on their screens. That explains why 21% of likely voters are undecided about who to support, according to a Berkeley IGS Poll out this month.

Here are three takeaways from Monday’s debate.

Garvey doesn’t just have a Trump problem: One of the many issues that Garvey refused to offer specifics about Monday is his feelings about Trump — starting with whether he will vote for him again, as he did in 2016 and 2020.

“When the time comes, I’ll do exactly what I said to you. I will look at the two opponents. I will determine what they did and at that time, I will make my choice,” Garvey said.

Porter unsheathed a zinger after Garvey’s non-answer that sounded like it was well-rehearsed.

“Once a dodger, always a dodger,” Porter said. “Ballots go out in six weeks. Mr. Garvey. This is not the minor leagues. Who will you vote for?”

Schiff was incredulous, telling Garvey, “You saw what he did on Jan. 6, you have to see what a threat he is to the country. I can understand you don’t want to alienate MAGA world by saying you’re against him, but you also won’t stand up to him. What more do you need to see of what he’s done to be able to say that you will not support him?”

Lee ripped Garvey after he was asked about what he would do about the homeless crisis in California. Garvey said he’d call for an audit of the billions spent on homeless services, then added, “When was the last time any of you went to the inner city actually walked up to the homeless as I have over these last three weeks? I needed to talk to the homeless, went up to them and touched them and listened to them and they looked at me and they said, ‘You’re the first time anybody’s come up and ask us about our life.’”

Lee, who has spent time on public assistance and said she has been unhoused, was aghast.

“His response was just so patronizing,” Lee said. “As somebody who’s been unsheltered,  I cannot believe how he described his walk and touching and being there with the homeless.”

The Middle East divided the candidates in unusual ways: Perhaps the starkest difference between the candidates was over what should be done in the Middle East in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas terrorists and the response from Israel.

Lee has supported a ceasefire. Schiff and Garvey staunchly oppose one, and Porter supports a ceasefire after conditions are met including that the hostages taken on Oct. 7 are released, resources are allocated to rebuild Gaza, Israel is secure and “there is a free state for Palestinians where they can thrive.”

“Ceasefire is not a magic word. You can’t say it and make it so,” Porter said. “But we have to push for the United States as a world leader for us to get to a ceasefire.”

Lee shot back that “if you don’t have a permanent ceasefire now, more people are going to get killed, and there’ll be less security” for Israel now and in the future.

Porter is walking a difficult walk: Porter had the toughest balancing act among the candidates. She tried to distinguish herself from Lee and Schiff — who have each spent more than two decades in Congress and time before that in the Legislature — as career politicians who haven’t gotten things done.

Housing is unaffordable to many Californians, Porter said, because “we have housing policy that is being written by career politicians who cater to the big donors.”

While Democrats tout their support for a Medicare for All health care plan, Porter said, “these career politicians are talking about their fights 30 and 40 years ago for Medicare for All, but where are we? Health inequities are getting worse … because we allow our health policy to be written by big pharma and big insurance.”

Porter singled out Schiff for all of the “dirty money” she said he has raised in the past from oil companies and other corporate players.

“He may have prosecuted big oil companies before he came to Congress, but when he got to Congress, he cashed checks from companies like BP,” Porter said.

Schiff shot back: “And I gave that money to you, Katie Porter,” referring to money he contributed to her House campaign, “and the only response I got was ‘Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.’” Schiff’s campaign said it has raised or contributed more than $200,000 to Porter since 2018, when she was first elected.

Two more debates are scheduled to be held next month.

Reach Joe Garofoli: [email protected]; Twitter: @joegarofoli