During California’s March primary, registered voters in the deep blue state targeted Rep. Adam SchiffD-California, will likely defeat former baseball star and Republican Steve Garvey for the coveted U.S. Senate seat in the general election.
However, that likely predictable outcome does not mean the race will be uninteresting. In November, voters will have the opportunity to fill in the same seat twice on their ballot.
After the Democratic US Senator Dianne Feinstein died last September, California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler until November, leaving two months of the term open for the winner of a special election in November. A separate ballot question will also ask Golden State voters to choose who will hold the office for the next six years.
While unusual, this means voters can choose one person to serve for two months in the special election, and another person to serve a full six-year term in the regular election.
More: California’s 2024 all-party primary election results
Fundraising during California’s 2024 U.S. Senate race is already historic
Heading into Super Tuesday, California’s U.S. Senate race was already one of the most expensive in the state’s history. Since then, Schiff and Garvey have continued to raise money.
Schiff has far outpaced his opponents in the race. Federal Election Commission filings show that the Democrat had raised nearly $35 million in campaign contributions by the end of March, while Garvey had raised about $5.5 million.
By contrast, Feinstein raised about $11.2 million in contributions during her last re-election campaign, according to 2018 FEC filings.
Preparing for the polls: See who’s running for president and compare their positions on key issues in our Voter’s Guide
For the first time in thirty years, California will no longer have a woman in the US Senate
Regardless of whether Schiff or Garvey wins this year’s general election, California will not have a woman in the Senate for the first time in more than three decades.
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer was elected in 1992 to represent California alongside Feinstein. Kamala Harris, now vice president, succeeded Boxer in 2017 after her retirement. When Harris joined President Joe Biden’s administration, Newsom appointed Sen. Alex Padilla to the seat and was given a full six-year term in 2022.
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Ken Tran contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Key factors affecting California’s 2024 Senate race
