THE BUZZ: Don’t look now, but Steve Garvey is rounding second. A just-released POLITICO|Morning Consult poll shows GOP baseball star Garvey catching up with two of his fellow primary contenders, Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, who are in a dead heat behind Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff. Despite staying relatively quiet since launching his campaign in October, Garvey, who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres in the 70s and 80s, has managed to stay on-pace with the other, more politically experienced candidates vying for the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat. The poll showed Garvey, Porter and Lee in a statistical three-way tie. Many chalk up his early success to his name recognition — a byproduct of appearing on national television almost every day for more than 15 years — but if he’s able to raise money and mount a compelling campaign, he could find himself listed on the general ballot come November. “What this poll shows is the potential for him to consolidate Republicans around his candidacy in March,” said Rob Stutzman, a Republican political consultant who has advised multiple statewide campaigns, including Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bid for governor. "If he comes out in January and starts campaigning ... I would think it's very likely he makes the runoff.” Here’s the breakdown among likely voters and undecided voters leaning toward a candidate:
- Schiff: 28 percent
- Garvey: 19 percent
- Porter: 17 percent
- Lee: 14 percent
- James P. Bradley (Republican): 7 percent
- Eric Early (Republican): 7 percent
- Christina Pascucci (Democrat): 4 percent
- Denice Gary-Pandol (Republican): 1 percent
- Other/undecided: 3 percent
Garvey’s camp again rebuffed the notion that he hasn’t been campaigning, as we pointed out earlier this month. Matt Shupe, a spokesperson for the campaign, said the main goal this quarter has been fundraising, and that next year we’ll see more action on the trail. Garvey has made a few public appearances recently, including a visit to the southern border with Republican Rep. Darrell Issa on Wednesday. "We need to raise money to compete against these career politicians that have raised tens of millions of dollars,” Shupe said. “Moving into next year, you're going to see him continue to campaign around the state and take his message to voters all around California." Other toplines from the POLITICO|Morning Consult poll:
- MENTAL HEALTH MONEY: Proposition 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal for a $6.38 billion housing bond and changes to the state’s Mental Health Services Act, received overwhelming support, with 72 percent of likely voters in favor and 28 percent against. (POLITICO Pro)
- AI ON THE DOCKET: Registered voters were split on their perceptions of artificial intelligence, with 43 percent saying they expect AI to have a positive impact on their lives, while 39 percent said they expect a negative impact, and 18 percent expect it to have none at all. About half said they worried it was coming for their jobs (POLITICO)
- ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR: The U.S. government is doing the right amount to help Israel in its war with Hamas, according to 40 percent of likely California primary voters, with 27 percent saying it’s too much, and 19 percent saying it's not enough. (POLITICO)
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