Former baseball MVP Steve Garvey joins California US Senate race, gives GOP ballot dash of celebrity

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD
AP Political Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former baseball MVP Steve Garvey is joining the race to succeed the late California Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The Republican Garvey gives his party a splash of star quality on the ballot in a heavily Democratic state where the GOP hasn’t won a U.S. Senate race in 35 years. Garvey signaled in a video that he would lean toward the political center, saying: “I never played for Democrats or Republicans or independents. I played for all of you.” As a Republican, he starts as a longshot. Democrats hold every statewide office. Leading candidates include Democratic U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff.