The race continues to heat up for the late Dianne Feinstein’s US. Senate seat. A Republican with a lot of star power appears to be climbing in the polls just weeks before the March primary.
Steve Garvey wowed baseball fans for nearly two decades as first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Now, the former baseball star is hoping to make the major leagues in politics taking a run at Feinstein's seat.
“California is personal to me, this is my state. I came here, I grew a family, I played for 20 years in front of hundreds of millions of people,” he said.
Garvey has been busy touring the state. He took his pitch to the East Bay Thursday, meeting with leaders of the Jewish community, pledging his support of Israel.
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“I believe that terrorists attacked Israel while it slept. It was inhumane,” said Garvey. “They’ve been one of our great allies and I believe that America should always stand next to its allies.”
A new poll released Thursday morning shows Garvey gaining momentum. The race's most high profile Republican candidate is now in second place as he faces a field of Democrats heading into the March primary. He appears poised to grab one of the two top spots, which would score him a place on the November ballot.
“This state's Democratic hold in the last 20 years has solidified, and at the moment, there’s no real appearance that that hold is about to break,” said NBC Bay Area Political Analyst, Larry Gerston.
California
He said that while Garvey may have Republican support, he faces an uphill battle in a state that’s dominated by Democrats.
“He may make it up to bat, but there’s a bigger chance he’ll strike out than hit a home-run,” said Gerston.
Garvey says he’s ready to up his game, insisting it’s time for a Republican senator in California’s Washington lineup.
“I guess we’re due. I guess it’s time. We basically have one voice in California,” he said.
