Buoyed by a sizable war chest, Democrat Adam Schiff spent heavily to propel himself and his desired opponent 鈥� former baseball star Steve Garvey, a Republican 鈥� into the November election for California鈥檚 U.S. Senate seat.
The matchup has likely guaranteed Schiff鈥檚 November victory, since no Republican has won a California statewide race in almost 20 years. Some Democrats rejoiced at the outcome, hoping it could free up more campaign cash to support Democrats in swing districts and states.
Progressives, however, are not happy.
Schiff鈥檚 boost for Garvey drew a sharp rebuke from some progressive groups, who argued his tactics elbowed out Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee 鈥� both popular among progressive voters 鈥� and could both encourage GOP turnout and dampen turnout among young voters of color to hurt Democrats in key congressional and legislative races in November.
鈥淎dam Schiff鈥檚 selfishness may have just helped MAGA extremists win control of the same House of Representatives that oversees the presidential Electoral College count,鈥� said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which endorsed Porter.
Green on Wednesday called on Schiff to give millions of dollars to congressional candidates in battleground districts 鈥渢hat he just left out to dry.鈥�
And Schiff鈥檚 defense of Israel in the Gaza war 鈥� at odds with progressives pushing for a permanent ceasefire 鈥� could discourage some Democrats from voting in the race, some warned.
鈥淚f Adam Schiff does not move towards a more progressive position on issues, especially with ceasefire, 鈥� he鈥檚 gonna run the real risk that base voters may sit it out this go around,鈥� said Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of the grassroots advocacy group Our Revolution, which supported Lee.
Asked for comment, Schiff鈥檚 campaign pointed to a Fox11 News interview Wednesday in which Schiff was asked to respond to the criticism that his strategies could make it more difficult for Democrats to retake control of Congress.
鈥淭here鈥檚 only one Democrat who buys that argument,鈥� Schiff said, referring to Porter, 鈥渨ho would think that one Democrat spending millions against another Democrat to beat each other up was a good idea for the party instead of being able to use those resources to elect other Democrats.鈥�
Schiff also doubled down on his opposition to a permanent ceasefire, arguing it would 鈥減ermanently entrench the terrorist organization like Hamas governing Gaza.鈥�
The outrage from some progressives is a reality Schiff will have to face within his own party as he works to consolidate the Democratic vote for the November election.
While he has consistently placed first in polls among Democratic voters overall, Schiff was mostly popular among older, whiter homeowners, while Porter had more support among younger voters and those who identified as progressive Democrats, according to a last week.
But could the splinter with progressives hurt Schiff鈥檚 chances of winning in November?
Unlikely, said Democratic strategist Garry South, who voted for Schiff.
鈥淚f progressive voters sit out the Senate race when the opponent to Adam Schiff is Steve Garvey, a guy who voted for Donald Trump twice, (you) might have to question their motivation,鈥� he said.
The Gaza concern
Chants for a ceasefire in Gaza broke out minutes into Schiff鈥檚 victory speech Tuesday night, bringing the celebration in Los Angeles to a brief halt.
鈥淟et Gaza Live!鈥� Pro-ceasefire protesters scattered in the crowd repeatedly yelled, some holding their fists high.
It鈥檚 a signal that progressives in California are growing more frustrated with in Gaza as civilian casualties rise. During the California Democratic Party convention last November, Lee 鈥� the only one in the race to call for a permanent ceasefire at the time 鈥� from party delegates, as pro-ceasefire protesters chanted her name.
Schiff has been in lockstep with the White House on the issue, on Tuesday backing a call for a temporary ceasefire backed by President Joe Biden, . Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday called for an 鈥溾�� for at least six weeks as the administration continued to negotiate with Israel on a deal.
Biden has faced backlash from progressive voters for his stance on the Israel-Hamas war. In a February poll, 46% of the Democrats said they were dissatisfied with Biden鈥檚 handling of the situation. In states including and , droves of voters voted 鈥渦ncommitted鈥� to express their frustration with Biden鈥檚 stance on the Gaza war as he faces a sure rematch with Trump in November. In a similar protest, California leaders with the Council on American-Islamic Relations .
Geevarghese argued that a temporary ceasefire is not enough, and that Biden鈥檚 shift toward a temporary ceasefire was merely 鈥渞hetoric.鈥�
鈥淭he base is angry and disgusted with the conduct of foreign policy by the U.S. government, and wants to see concrete action,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 see both the administration and Adam Schiff recognizing there鈥檚 deep voter discontent, but not necessarily fully responding to it in a way that would win back the trust of key parts of the Democratic base and motivate them.鈥�
鈥極ngoing struggle鈥�
But efforts to elevate Porter or Lee into the November election still fell short 鈥� a result most progressive groups blamed on Schiff鈥檚 strategy.
鈥淯ltimately, the more than $11 million scheme that Schiff and his allies invested in to keep progressive women off the ballot proved insurmountable in a low voter turnout election in California,鈥� reads a statement from Power PAC, a progressive group supporting Lee.
But South shrugged off the criticism, arguing it is 鈥渇air game鈥� in a top-two primary for a candidate to target any of their opponents, regardless of party affiliation.
鈥淚 know there鈥檚 all kinds of tut-tutting about the supposed cynicism of Schiff boosting Steve Garvey, but the fact of the matter is neither of the two so-called 鈥榩rogressive鈥� candidates, Barbara Lee or Katie Porter, had the resources to do much of anything,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his wasn鈥檛 dirty pool.鈥�
Porter would disagree. In her Tuesday night speech, she argued she was boxed out by 鈥渟pecial interests and the ultra wealthy鈥� that spent millions of dollars in the race. But she also , airing ads to boost Republican candidate Eric Early, although at a much smaller scale than Schiff.
鈥淟ike we鈥檝e seen in this campaign, they spend millions to defeat someone who will dilute their influence and disrupt the status quo,鈥� she said in a campaign statement Wednesday.
Lee congratulated Schiff in a Wednesday statement, touting her 鈥済rassroots鈥� campaign for 鈥減rogressive change鈥� while acknowledging a lackluster fundraising effort.
鈥淒espite being heavily outspent by my opponents, our values never wavered,鈥� she said.
Lee 鈥� who has represented the Oakland area in Congress since 1998 鈥� has never had to build a national network of donors, South noted. And while Porter鈥檚 aggressive style may have worked in questioning witnesses during congressional hearings, it may not have resonated with voters and donors, South said.
The two candidates鈥� failure to advance out of the primary shows an 鈥渙ngoing struggle鈥� for progressives to break through, Geevarghese said.
鈥淚t is a problem that the progressive movement got splintered in California,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here is an establishment Democratic bloc that does have the reins on power. Whether it鈥檚 through the party, and then through their candidates, it鈥檚 challenging for our movement to be able to break through.鈥�
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