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Update March 6: As of this morning, Steve Garvey has pulled ahead of Adam Schiff in the partial term Senate election. Garvey is leading with 1,317,911 votes to 1,173,917 for Adam Schiff. The two will run-off in November, with the winner seated as soon as votes are certified to serve the remaining few weeks in the late Senator Dianne Feinstein's term this November and December.
Schiff still has a narrow lead in the long-term race for the six-year term starting in January; currently Schiff leads in the long-term race narrowly with 1,247,753 over Garvey with 1,218,050 votes. They will run-off in November as well for the long-term race to fill the next six-year term beginning in January.
March 5, 2024 (San Diego) --With the balance of power in the U.S. Senate nearly equally split between Republicans and Democrats, the California race to replace the late Dianne Feinstein may decide the balance of power in the Senate and the Nation.
Currently, there are 49 Republicans, 48 Democrats and 3 Independents in the Senate. The Independents have chosen to Caucus with the Democrats, giving them a slight edge. Additionally, on January 20, 2021, Democratic vice president Kamala Harris took office. Her tie-breaking vote established a Democratic majority in the Senate.
With the death of long-serving Senator Dianne Feinstein, a seat that has been held by Democrats for decades is now up for grabs. Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler to fill the seat until an election could be held.
Today's ballot includes both a partial term election to complete the last two months of Feinstein's unfinished term, as well as a full-term election for the next six-year term beginning January 3, 2025.
Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, who led impeachment hearings against Donald Trump, appears headed to victory in the short-term race and to a November run-off against former Major League baseball player Steve Garvey, a Republican, for the full-term seat.
The same candidate can win both the partial-term election in November to complete the balance of Feinstein’s remaining term, ending in January 2025, and also win the full term, to begin when the partial-term is complete. Or, it’s feasible that one candidate is elected to complete Feinstein’s unfinished current term, from November 2024 through January 2025, and another candidate could be elected to begin the next full six-year term starting in January 2025.
Seven candidates, five Democrats and two Republicans, are competing to complete Feinstein’s unfinished term. At 9:25 p.m,, with 38.7% of precincts reporting, Democrat Adam Schiff has 34% of the votes statewide, while Republican Steve Garvey holds 30.8% of the votes. Congresswoman Katie Porter has 17%. All other candidates have single digits or less.
Twenty-seven candidates are vying for the full-term US Senate race; 11 Democrats, 10 Republicans, 1 American Party, 1 Libertarian, and f4 with no party preference. Leading the race is Democrat Adam Schiff, with 37% of the votes, followed by Republican Steve Garvey with 28.9%. In third place is Congresswoman Katie Porter with 14.1%. All other canidates are in single digits or less.
The top two contenders in the full-term race will run off in November for the full six-year term.
View full results andupdates at the Secretary of State's website: https://electionresults.sos.ca.gov/.
East County Magazine will continue to watch this close and very important race, and will report as news becomes available.
Updated March 6 to clarify that both the short-term and long-term races will have run-off contests in November.
Comments
Was Steve Garvey just elected Senator from California?
Did the Senate just go to 50-50? According to the Secretary of State's website Steve Garvey has 1,317,911 votes in the short-term seat and Adam Schiff has 1,173,917 votes. But I see no mention of Steve Garvey winning online. This is what staying up all night election night will find me but I have no one to confirm this with.
No, there will be a runoff in the short-term Senate race,
the Sec. of State's office confirms. Since it takes a while usually to certify a race, the winner won't be seated until sometime in November, and will only serve until early January, when the long-term election winner will be seated.
An interesting point to ponder: If Schiff wins the short-term and is seated before any other new Senators, he will have more seniority, assuming he also wins the long-term race. If different people win the two races, one will have perhaps the shortest Senate tenure ever.