Republican baseball star Steve Garvey has edged ahead of Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff in California’s crowded race for the U. S. Senate, according to a new poll released March 1 by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies. 

A political rookie, Garvey garnered 27 percent of likely voters compared to Schiff’s 25 percent in the poll just a week before the March 5 primary election.  Democrat Rep. Katie Porter trailed them at 19 percent, Democrat Rep. Barbara Lee at 8 percent, with 12 percent split among 23 other candidates and 9 percent undecided. 

“These findings represent a dramatic change in the standings compared to earlier polls in the Senate race,” noted Mark DiCamillo, poll director. “A big part of Garvey’s appeal…relates to voter perception that he will be tougher on the nation’s immigration problem than the other candidates.” 

Despite what is shaping up to be a historically low turnout for a California primary election, the increase in voter support for Garvey over the past six weeks has occurred mainly by consolidating the support of Republican and strong conservative voters, Di Camillo explained. 

In the partial term election for U.S Senate to fill the remaining few months of former Senator Diane Feinstein’s term, Garvey leads Schiff by six points, 29 percent to 23 percent. Garvey’s boost here is attributed to the fact that there are fewer options, particularly Republicans, to choose from. 

Meanwhile, IGS Co-Director Eric Stickler suggested another cause for Garvey’s poll rise. “Schiff’s strategy of boosting Garvey’s candidacy to allow an easier race in the November runoff election appears to have worked, perhaps even better than Schiff’s campaign had envisioned,” he said.