Race to fill California's second Senate seat heats up
ORANGE, Calif. (KABC) -- The race to fill California's second Senate seat is heating up ahead of the primary election on Tuesday.
Newcomer and former Dodger Steve Garvey is practically in a deadlock tie with leading Democrat Adam Schiff.
Schiff is attempting to boost Garvey's profile, seeing him as a much easier opponent in the general election. Schiff joined his fellow Democratic contenders for the Senate race on the campaign trail over the weekend.
Schiff told the crowd at a meet-and-greet in Orange on Saturday that getting out the vote is more important than ever.
"People are looking for someone in the Senate that can lead in the really big fights, that will defend our democracy but also who knows how to get things done and knows how to deliver on affordable housing, on affordable childcare, who has a record of bringing back resources to the Golden State," Schiff said.
The latest polls show Schiff and Garvey running neck and neck at 25% and 27%, respectively. Katie Porter is trailing with 19%, followed by Barbara Lee with 8%.
Porter took her 18-year-old son Luke to vote for the first time in Irvine. The U.S. Senate candidate also cast her ballot in the early voting process. She said the low voter turnout makes it hard to believe the polling numbers.
"If they want to see Washington change, then they need to send people to Washington to do things differently. I'm the only Democratic elected official running in this race who's never taken corporate PAC money. That makes me different. My vote is not for sale," said Porter.
Lee campaigned in L.A. Sunday and was at San Fernando High School Monday. In a recent interview, she said California voters should be concerned that for the first time in 30 years, the state may not have a woman senator.
"Representation matters," Lee said. "We need a woman of color in the United States Senate from California because there's so many women who can relate to the challenges of a woman of color, someone who has lived below the poverty line, been unsheltered, raised kids."
With such low voter turnout this go-around, all of the candidates hope that more people will make their voices heard, and head to the ballot box come Election Day.
