Major League Baseball legend and one-time MVP first baseman Steve Garvey is throwing his cap in the ring and will run for a U.S. Senate seat long held by the late Dianne Feinstein, vowing to revive the “heartbeat” of California.
Garvey, who is running as a Republican, will face off against one of three Democratic primary challengers — U.S. Reps. Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee, or Katie Porter.
In an interview with Fox News, Garvey explained why he entered the race as a Republican while dismissing opponents in the race who he said only want to represent half of the state.
“Earlier this year, I wondered, ‘Let’s see who I can get behind in California that I can support, that had my values and my commitment to this country,’ and I couldn’t find anybody. You know how strongly liberal [California has become] over the years and generations,” the former first baseman said.
“I woke up one morning and decided to see if there’s a pathway to run for the U.S. Senate,” he said, adding that he’s already actively campaigning across the state.
“We’ve been actively, over the first probably four months after making that decision, talking to significant people that I trust in the world of politics and then going around California, talking to the people in the north, coastal and central California, and also down south where we are,” the one-time National League MVP said.
Garvey played 14 years for the Dodgers and another five for the San Diego Padres between 1969 and 1987.
“My whole life has been based on, you know, team building and putting teams together with comparable skills, leadership, dedication, passion,” he said. “It doesn’t stop just with sports teams. It goes all the way into business and politics, in religion and all those things.”
Should he win, Garvey pledged to meet with every other U.S. senator on his first days in office.
He also said he was in California when it was the “heartbeat of America” but said that it’s now become a “murmur” because of financial and safety challenges faced by those living there.
“The challenges of hardworking Californians getting up every day and knowing that, under our economy now and inflation, that by the time the month’s over, they could be losing seven, eight, $900. And that’s when they’re even managing their daily lives well,” Garvey said. “The food and the gas and education for their children, clothing … all of these things are due to inflation that’s risen so much that it’s tough to stay above water.
“What I’ll focus on is getting back to a free market, capitalism, that will target small businesses,” he added. “You know, there’s so many people that want to start businesses and small market businesses. Small businesses are the foundation of the business world, especially here in California. So many of those people who wanted to start small businesses have left California.”
