In his Republican bid for California’s vacant Senate seat, former baseball star Steve Garvey is appealing to middle-class voters by blending policies targeting everyday issues with a touch of nostalgia.

Launching his campaign in October, Garvey has moved into second place, according to polling released in late December, leading Democratic career politicians, Reps. (D-CA) Katie Porter and Barbara Lee (D-CA). While he trails front-runner Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) by nine points, Garvey finds himself in a unique position to rally Republican voters from his home bases.

Garvey retired from Major League Baseball in 1987 following a career as an all-star infielder with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres that spanned 19 years. His legendary status could feed into his electability if he can garner enough GOP support.

California has long been a deep-blue political landscape, with its Senate candidates for three decades representing its Democratic stronghold. California has not sent a Republican senator to Washington since John Seymour was appointed to replace former Republican Sen. Pete Wilson in 1991. Seymour’s tenure was brief, with the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) defeating him in 1992. 

Democrats have an overwhelming majority in both chambers of the state legislature and hold the governorship. Out of the 52 seats California holds in the House of Representatives, only 11 are held by Republicans. The state’s GOP has seen some momentum in recent years, gaining a seat in the 2022 midterm elections while Democrats dropped two. Even a second-place finish for Garvey would bode well for the GOP.

“I think that one of the biggest complaints you get from pretty much everybody across the aisle is the fact that it’s just one party that controls absolutely everything in the state,” Garvey spokesman Matt Shupe told the Washington Examiner in an interview, adding that a Garvey win “would begin to offer some sort of just checks and balances.”

Red pockets are still scattered throughout California, and Garvey’s campaign could unite Republican voters. Shupe pushed back on just how blue the state is; Even in the high-profile race of one of the nation’s top Democrats, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), Republicans still gathered around 40% of the vote (Newsom earned about 59%), per the 2022 election. 

“Intrinsically, what benefits Californians will benefit Republicans, but he’s not running to benefit the Republican Party. He’s been running to benefit Californians,” Shupe said of Garvey working for a broader audience rather than one party.

“They actually want someone that’s willing to work with people to work for solutions for everybody rather than people that are just there to inflame rhetoric and service their party. That’s the whole ethos behind Steve’s campaign — is that this is for Californians,” Shupe said. 

As reflected in the Republican Party, Californians may be tired of career politicians, adding to Garvey’s rise in the polls. In the Politico/Morning Consult poll released late last month, Garvey claimed second place at 19% among likely voters, with Schiff as the clear front-runner at 28%, followed by Porter at 17% and Lee at 14%.

Top Democrats have taken notice of Garvey’s newfound traction, warning their base that a Republican could claim the second spot in California’s top-two system.

“A celebrity Republican is gaining traction in the polls, and he could advance to second place and keep us from qualifying for the general election,” Porter’s campaign said in a recent fundraising pitch.

Garvey started campaigning publicly at the end of last year, making multiple stops near the U.S.-Mexico border and Imperial Valley. Shupe mentioned that since Garvey is a first-time political candidate, he entered the race with limited funds and initially focused on fundraising efforts. Moving further into the election year, Garvey is intensifying his campaign efforts — running on quality of life issues, education, and crime. Shupe said this week, Garvey has connected with small business owners, toured a homeless facility in downtown San Diego, and visited Skid Row in Los Angeles.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER 

While Garvey has not been endorsed by the California Republican Party, chairwoman Jessica Patterson said, “California Republicans are in a strong position to make the Senate race a two-person contest following the March primary.”

“A top-two finish with an incredibly strong candidate would not only serve as a great motivator to help turn out voters for our entire ticket, but it would also put our chances of picking up a Senate seat at the highest they’ve been in years,” Patterson said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.