Los Angeles Dodgers Legend Steve Garvey Considers Bid for US Senate in California

Former San Diego Padres Steve Garvey waves to fans before a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals in San Diego, on June 29, 2019. Gregory Bull/AP Photo

Los Angeles Dodgers legend and Republican Steve Garvey is considering a bid to run for U.S. Senate.

The 74-year-old Garvey has not officially announced his candidacy, and the last time a Republican candidate won a U.S. Senate race in the Democratic state was in 1988.

Garvey played 18 years in the major leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres before retiring from baseball in 1987.

Republican strategist Andy Gharakhani, who is advising Garvey, confirmed that the Palm Desert resident is looking at his campaign options.

“He is being contacted by leaders up and down the state. They’re recruiting him to run from both sides, Republican and Democrat, and he’s seriously considering it,” Gharakhani told the LA Times. “We should have a decision made here in the next few weeks.”

Steve Garvey (C) accepted a plaque and induction into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame at Foley's Pub on Tuesday. Cliff Jia/The Epoch Times

Garvey would focus his campaign run on issues such as cost-of-living, high taxes, rising crime, and lack of opportunities for Californians.

“I have been approached to run for office and am exploring that. No announcement is imminent,” Garvey said in a statement released by a Dodgers team spokesperson.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who is dealing with significant health issues, announced that she will not seek another term in 2024, opening up the senate race.

“I am announcing today I will not run for reelection in 2024 but intend to accomplish as much for California as I can through the end of next year when my term ends,” Feinstein said in a statement in February. “Even with a divided Congress, we can still pass bills that will improve lives. Each of us was sent here to solve problems. That’s what I’ve done for the last 30 years and what I plan to do for the next two years. My thanks to the people of California for allowing me to serve them.”

According to the Federal Election Commission, twenty candidates had filed to run for her seat by the end of March.

Garvey would enter the race as an underdog against Democratic candidates, as California is a Democratic state.

Garvey’s candidacy would elevate and excite California Republicans, despite his odds of success being low, says GOP strategist Rob Stutzman.

“It’s very tough for any Republican to win statewide, and that’s probably more true in a U.S. Senate race,” Stutzman said in a statement. “However, he could be a wild-card candidate that could really change the dynamic in a way we haven’t seen happen in over a decade. It’s hard to predict victory, but it could certainly boost the party.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will have to replace Feinstein if she retires before her term is up.

“The hard part now is the race is not that many months away, right?” Newsom said about the upcoming Senate election in a local television news interview this month. “The primary is early next year, so it’s now a very different place—it’s not an academic conversation like it was a year ago.”

Newsom has expressed his wishes for her improved health, calling her “a mentor and a friend.” But he cannot escape the political ramifications if she were to leave office early since he would be forced to pick her replacement.

“I hope I’ll never have to make that decision,” Newsom added.

Orange County-based Republican activist Jon Fleischman, a Dodgers loyalist, wondered if Garvey might struggle to win over votes on the home turf of the team’s bitter rivals, the San Francisco Giants.

“It will be interesting to see if Republicans in the [San Francisco] Bay Area would want to put a former Dodgers legend into the U.S. Senate—or even tolerate one as their nominee,” Fleischman said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.