Garvey, who has not run a traditional campaign for public office, has made just a few limited visits to parts of the state but has continued to rise in the polls since launching his campaign in October.

Garvey was joined on his campaign stop by the former sheriff of Sacramento County, John McGinness, to tour an area of North Sacramento where unhoused services and part of the unhoused population are concentrated.

During his stop, Garvey spoke with several people experiencing homelessness about their situation.

"It's about mental illness," Garvey told reporters after the tour. "They want to get off the streets. He wanted a job."

"It's not about food on the table," the former first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers said of having a job. "It's about how you feel in your heart. Accomplishment in your heart. That's what we need to get back to."

Garvey then said that those with jobs aren't getting enough pay from them.

"Fifty percent of the people feel they're breaking even every day," Garvey said. "13% feel they're getting ahead and the rest feel they're losing."

"$800 or $900 a month? $11, $12, $13,000 a year when they're getting up and working harder than they've ever worked before?" Garvey said. "Something's wrong."

One of the culprits Garvey regularly pointed to for the continued homelessness crisis was an alleged mismanagement of state funds intended to help relieve the issue.

"All the money in the state— stop telling us about the money that's owed, let's start putting money toward where it really helps the people of California."

"Where did the money go and how was it used?" Garvey asked. "I want a deeper dive into accountability... I think at a federal position like the U.S. Senate you can get those answers."

Aside from homelessness, Garvey listed off other issues he'd like to address.

"We gotta get crime off the street," Garvey said. "Prosecutors have to prosecute. We need to get inflation down. We have to get back to free market economics that let you go out and work hard and get ahead. We've got to close the border. We have a way to citizenship in this country and I think it's important that we get back to that accessibility by doing it the right way, port of entry, etc."

Garvey, 75, explained why he says he'll only serve one term.

"At 81, 82 I will have been given six years to do what I say I'm going to do," Garvey said. "People know that I'm honest and that when I say I'm going to do something I'm going to accomplish it. And sometimes in politics, it takes time."

The ad highlights Rep. Schiff's role in the two impeachment proceedings, successfully carried out against the former president in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

The ad, which features footage of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in 2021, calls the possibility of a second Trump term "an even greater danger."

"When our democracy was in danger, he stood up," a voiceover in the ad says. "Adam Schiff took on a corrupt president. He fought to protect our values and the rule of law. Now we face an even greater danger. We need Adam Schiff more than ever."

Trump's victory in the Iowa Republican Caucus "likely cements his position as the clear frontrunner for the GOP nomination," Schiff's campaign said in a statement accompanying the ad. Along with the ad, Schiff's campaign has rolled out a new policy plan, "Defending Democracy."

The plan, according to the campaign, outlines Schiff's plans for protecting reproductive rights, expanding voting rights, and reforming the U.S. Supreme Court. The release of "Danger" follows last week's rollout of a TV spot titled "Results."

Recent polls have seen Schiff maintain his status as the front runner in the race to fill the seat held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. This week, the Burbank representative picked up a weighty endorsement from the Los Angeles Times.

A new poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and Los Angeles Times indicates that Schiff garnered 21% of likely voters, with fellow U.S. Rep. Katie Porter (D-Irvine) in second place with 17% and former Los Angeles Dodger Steve Garvey with 13%.

Garvey is the top Republican in the race, but in California, the top two candidates in the March 5 primary advance to the general election, regardless of party preference.

Falling behind is another member of Congress, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), who only has garnered 9% of likely voters surveyed.

"About a fifth of the voters surveyed picked one of the 23 other candidates on the crowded ballot, and the remainder said they were undecided," the Times reported.

One of those other candidates is Christina Pascucci, a former reporter and anchor for KTLA.

All are competing for the Senate seat formerly held by longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died in September.

Rep. Schiff launched a 30-second spot in which, among other things, he touted his experience in the impeachment proceedings against former President Donald Trump, lowered drug costs, and helping to build affordable housing.

"This election is a choice between results and just rhetoric," Schiff can be heard saying in the ad. "Californians deserve a senator who is going to deliver for them every day and not just talk a good game."

Rep. Porter's 30-second spot leans into her trademark whiteboard and new "Shake up the Senate" messaging her campaign has rolled out this week.

"Not just any whiteboard, Katie Porter's whiteboard," a voiceover in the ad can be heard saying. The ad highlights Porter's progressive bona fides including her refusal to take corporate PAC money, "leading the fight to ban congressional stock trading," and opposing earmarks.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Porter's ad is running solely in the SF Bay Area, which some have seen as an attempt to tap into the Bay Area progressive support Rep. Barbara Lee's campaign is banking on.

Schiff remains the front runner, according to data collected by Real Clear Polling, with Porter trailing slightly behind and Lee running close with Republican candidate Steve Garvey in the race for third place.

The Incorporating National Support for Unprecedented Risks and Emergencies Act, also known as the INSURE Act, aims to solve the problem through federal reinsurance. 

The proposed act would require insurers participating in the program to provide coverage for all natural disasters and invest in loss prevention and risk mitigation strategies so customers can prepare for such events.

Additionally, the act would establish improved market monitoring through the Office of Financial Research and the Federal Insurance Office, which would work with state insurance regulators.  

“My INSURE Act addresses the urgent crisis in the home insurance market, particularly in California, where the cost of insurance has gone through the roof and insurers have stopped writing new policies,” Rep. Schiff said in a statement.

“Climate change has significantly increased the risk of natural disasters and insurance companies are shifting the costs to consumers who struggle to purchase disaster coverage. My bill is a critical step forward in the effort to ensure homeowners and communities have access to affordable and accessible coverage. I’ll keep working to get this across the finish line and bring the cost of insurance down.”

In California, insurance companies like State Farm and Allstate announced last year that they would stop accepting insurance applications for all business and personal property statewide.

Both companies announced these decisions due to rising business costs and increased risks of natural disasters in the state, particularly wildfires.

Smaller companies like Merastar Insurance Co., Unitrin Auto and Home Insurance Co., Unitrin Direct Property and Casualty Co. and Kemper Independence Insurance Co. made similar announcements.

However, California isn’t alone. States like Colorado, Louisiana and Florida have also dealt with similar issues.

In California, politicians have been working to address the troubled insurance market. In September, California Department of Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara introduced the Sustainable Insurance Strategy, which aims to bring back insurers to communities with high wildfire risks.

Rep. Schiff’s proposed act must pass both the House and Senate and requires a signature from the president before it can become law.

Though it was a school day, dozens of children wearing football jerseys and their parents crowded into the hearing room and watched as the Assembly committee that regulates sports voted 5-2 to send the bill to the full chamber.

The full Assembly has only until the end of January to approve it. If they do, it goes to the Senate and then Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Heightened concern over concussions and the growing popularity of flag football are driving the effort to impose the ban, which opponents say would take away the ability for parents to decide their children’s activities, put California youth players behind those in other states and cut off some children from a source of exercise and an important after-school activity.

But advocates say the bill will protect kids from the risk of brain damage, which studies have shown increases the longer a person plays tackle football. And they note children can still enjoy the sport through flag football, which is becoming more popular and even has support from the NFL.

No state has banned tackle football for kids despite some attempts. State Assemblymember Kevin McCarty introduced a similar bill in 2018 that failed to pass. Other proposals in New York and Illinois also failed to pass.

The debate comes as participation in high school tackle football has been declining in California. Participation dropped more than 18% from 2015 to 2022, falling from a high of 103,725 players to 84,626 players, according to the California Interscholastic Federation’s participation survey. Participation then increased by 5% in 2023, up to 89,178 players.

But Ashley Bertram, a mother of three boys, ages 14, 12 and 7, said her boys have played both sports and that in her experience children get hurt more while playing flag football because the players don't wear protective gear.

“Flag football is still a contact sport," Bertram said. “If you think that just because a 7-year-old boy is running up to take a flag, that they’re not ramming into each other to do that, you’re out of your mind! We’re talking about boys!”

Bertram, who attended the hearing with her 7-year-old son, Bruce, said the bill is more about infringing on parental rights than football.

“In the state of California, I get to choose whether my child lives or dies in my womb. But I can't decide what sport he plays?” she asked.

But several lawmakers who back the legislation say flag football is a safer option for kids.

“Football and organizational sports in general are clearly proven ways to keep kids out of trouble,” said Assemblymember Mike Gipson, chair of the state assembly’s committee in charge of regulating sports in California. “This bill is not taking away that ability, it is simply saying that we’re going to move from tackle football to flag football and we can still have the same learning experiences.”

McCarty told the committee that, if approved, the measure would set rules to protect the brains of the youngest children and join measures that already regulate other contact sports in the state.

“Just like we have (rules) for soccer that you can’t head before a certain age in California, and in hockey that you can’t check before a certain age, (the bill) says to our youngest kids, ‘You can play flag football under 12 and over 12 you start having contact.'"

If passed, the ban would be gradually phased in, prohibiting children under 6 starting in 2025, under 10 in 2027 and those under 12 in 2029. That provision wasn't part of last year's bill and was added Wednesday, perhaps making the bill more palatable to some lawmakers.

Flag football has been gaining popularity nationwide, especially for girls. The sport has provided scholarship opportunities for female players, with around two dozen NAIA schools fielding women’s teams in 2023 and more schools planning to join in upcoming seasons.

The NFL has promoted flag football, helping it to become an Olympic sport that will be included in the LA Games in 2028. The league has set up camps, clinics, a circuit and even exhibitions through its NFL FLAG program, which serves kids between the ages of 4 and 17.

According to research by USA Football, more than 1 million kids between the ages of 6 and 12 played the sport in 2022.

Research has shown tackle football causes brain damage, and the risk increases the longer people play football, said Chris Nowinski, CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation and former Harvard football player and WWE professional wrestler. It can cause chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which kills nerve cells in the brain.

“I don't have a problem with NFL players, who are adults and understand the risk and are compensated, risking CTE,” Nowinski said. “I can't imagine a world in which we have children, who don't understand the risk, doing this for fun (and) taking the same risk with their brain.”

California law already bans full-contact practices for high school and youth football teams during the offseason and limits them to two practices per week during the preseason and regular season. A law that took effect in 2021 also requires youth football officials to complete concussion and head injury education in addition to other safeguards.

Ron White, president of the California Youth Football Alliance, said the measure is misguided and discriminatory because if passed, it will greatly impact underserved communities. White also said the science on CTE is constantly evolving.

“There is not medical consensus in this area, far from it," White said. "So, when you’re informing public policy, we believe that the (legislative) body should really take that into consideration and know there’s competing science and work with the people, not against them.”

___

Rodriguez reported from San Francisco. Associated Press journalists Pat Graham in Denver and Terry Chea in Sacramento contributed to this report.

The bill is supported by advocates seeking to protect kids from brain damage but opposed by coaches who warn it would cut off youths from an important source of physical activity.

A legislative committee voted 5 to 2 during a public hearing to advance the bill authored by Democratic Assemblymember Kevin McCarty. But the measure is still a long way from passing. It must clear the state Assembly by the end of January to have a chance of becoming law this year.

“Football and organizational sports in general are clearly proven ways to keep kids out of trouble,” said Assemblymember Mike Gipson, chair of the state assembly's committee in charge of regulating sports in the state. “This bill is not taking away that ability, it is simply saying that we’re going to move from tackle football to flag football and we can still have the same learning experiences.”

If passed, the bill would not take effect until 2026. Proposed amendments would gradually phase in implementation through 2029. The bill comes as flag football has been gaining popularity nationwide, especially for girls.

Research has shown tackle football causes brain damage, and the risk increases the longer people play football, said Chris Nowinski, CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation and former Harvard football player and WWE professional wrestler. It can cause chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which causes the death of nerve cells in the brain.

“I don't have a problem with NFL players, who are adults and understand the risk and are compensated, risking CTE,” Nowinski said. “I can't imagine a world in which we have children, who don't understand the risk, doing this for fun (and) taking the same risk with their brain.”

No state has banned tackle football for kids, but there have been attempts to do so. Similar bills that were introduced previously in California, New York, and Illinois failed to pass.

California law already bans full-contact practices for high school and youth football teams during the offseason and limits them to two practices per week during the preseason and regular season. A law that took effect in 2021 also requires youth football officials complete concussion and head injury education in addition to other safeguards.

Steve Famiano, a former youth football coach who leads the Save Youth Football California coalition, said youth football leagues need more time to implement the 2021 law to see how effective it is. He said kids under 12 shouldn't be forced to play only flag football, which he said is a completely different sport from tackle football.

“Flag football is oriented toward leaner, faster kids, and some of the kids we see in tackle football may not have developed yet physically, they may be a little bit overweight or are larger in stature, maybe not the fastest kid on the team," he said. “They fit so perfect on a youth football team. They get to play offensive line and defensive line. You take that away from those kids, where do they go?”

Tackle football at the high school level has been declining in California. Participation dropped more than 18% from 2015 to 2022, falling from a high of 103,725 players to 84,626 players, according to the California Interscholastic Federation's participation survey. Football participation increased by 5% in 2023, up to 89,178 players.

Proposition 1 will include modernizing the Mental Health Services Act and Assembly Bill 531, along with a $6.38 billion bond to build new mental health housing and substance abuse treatment centers across California.

"We can't continue to do what we've done,” Newsom said at a Wednesday conference. “You'll get what we've got."

The campaign was launched alongside state law enforcement, first responders and lawmakers.

"People are willing to come off the street, but you have to address why they are unhoused to begin with,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

The proposition would allocate money to hiring more mental health professionals and provide funding to build more than 11,150 new behavioral health beds and housing and 26,700 outpatient treatment slots, filling “critical needs across the state for homeless Californians with severe behavioral health issues, to kids suffering from depression, and everyone in between.”

"What we see now, it's not working,” said Brian Rice from the California Professional Firefighters union.

Rice said firefighters are often the first responders dealing with L.A.’s growing homeless crisis.

"When you see people in the street covered in urine or feces and they're dirty and pacing or talking or screaming at each other, at anybody, at a wall — we’re so immune to it,” Rice said. “What you're witnessing is human pain and suffering. These are human beings. We have to stop stepping over, stepping around and avoiding this problem."

Newsom said the proposition would not raise taxes but would instead be funded by a $6.38 billion bond.

Counties would receive $1 billion per year for housing and related treatment for the homeless community. 

Newsom also claims the proposition would pay for itself in the long run by relieving the average of $100,000 spent per inmate in L.A. County jails. 

Some opponents against the measure said diverting from the Mental Health Services Act for housing could result in cuts to existing mental health programs such as outpatient care and crisis response.

Californians will have the chance to vote on the ballot in March 2024.

"I'm proud to receive the endorsement of United Farm Workers!" Schiff posted on Facebook. "Rain or shine, farm workers feed the nation. In the U.S. Senate, I look forward to working arm in arm with UFW for better pay and safer working conditions for these essential workers who put food on our table."

UFW is the largest farmworkers union in the country, representing thousands of workers across the State of California.

Recent polls have seen Schiff gain ground as a clear front runner in California's Senate race. According to a Public Policy Institute of California poll from mid-November, Schiff was supported by 21% of those surveyed.

A recent poll from Politico shows Garvey, who is running as a Republican, with the support of 19% of likely California voters, second to Congressman Adam Schiff’s 28%. A Policy Institute of California poll conducted in mid-November had Garvey at 10%, trailing both Schiff (21%) and Rep. Katie Porter (16%).

Earlier this month, Garvey toured the oft-neglected Salton Sea and broadly outlined his priorities for the region, which has become a focal point after a U.S. Department of Energy analysis found it could hold one of the largest lithium brine deposits in the world.

“People first. The ecology and environment second, and then the development of a potentially vast resource for building of batteries and eventually cleaner energy” he told reporters.

Garvey also toured the U.S.-Mexico border where he met with Border Patrol agents and social workers.

“The perception is we have this crisis - what are we going to do about it? We talk about illegal immigrants. We talk about a path to citizenship. But at the end of the day, it's humanity,” he told KTLA’s Eytan Wallace.

To date, the former Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres slugger has not offered any specific proposals about border security or laid out detailed positions on other key issues.

He also hasn’t revealed where, as a Republican, he stands on former President Trump in 2024 and whether he voted for him in the past.

Most experts believe Garvey will need Trump supporters if he’s to win in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican to statewide office since 2006 when Arnold Schwarzenegger won the governor’s race.

"I think there's only been one loud voice that's controlled California, and [what our country is built on] is two voices, two opinions," he told Wallace.  “If you stand with me, maybe we can make a difference and improve the quality of your life, and bring back the luster of this state.”

Just how he intends to do that, remains to be seen.

Garvey' campaign website shows his platform prioritizing giving parents more educational decisions and lowering taxes while increasing police budgets, along with a strong national defense.

But at the moment, Garvey isn’t offering any specific proposals on how to achieve those priorities, running for now on the promise that he is the best candidate to represent California in the U.S. Senate.

“September 11th changed the world," Lee said on the House floor prior to the vote. "Our deepest fears now haunt us. Yet, I am convinced military action will not prevent further acts of international terrorism against the United States.” 

Lee was mocked, ridiculed and threatened for her vote at the time, but now more than 20 years later the once infamous vote by Lee is one she’s praised for.

The congresswoman says that decision to stand up when no one else did, along with others during her years in Congress, is what sets her apart in California’s competitive U.S. Senate race.

"But when you look at leadership and what I stepped out on and others have followed, I think that is a big distinguishing factor," Lee said. "No one led on the global HIV pandemic. I went to President [George W.] Bush, I opposed every one of his policies, but when it came to saving lives I thought he could help. He did and we saved 25 million lives."

More recently, Lee has also been a leader in marijuana law reform.

"No one was talking about legalization for marijuana," Lee said. "It's a criminal justice issue. When you look at Black and brown people being disproportionately incarcerated behind marijuana charges— I stepped up and I put forth the Marijuana Justice Act."

The 77-year-old said she was also proud of the work she's done in her district, such as the Barbara Lee Health and Wellness Center, a facility owned by the San Leandro Unified School District that offers health, dental, and mental wellness services free of charge to students and families.

"So many young people don't have access to healthcare and mental healthcare," Lee said. "... The development of one's self-image requires to be felt that they are valued and this center makes sure all young people, regardless of who they are or their background, they are valued."

Equity and representation are key components of Lee’s campaign. Currently, there is only one Black woman in the U.S. Senate and it's the same seat Lee is running for.

The woman who holds that seat, Laphonza Butler, was appointed by Governor Newsom in October following Dianne Feinstein’s passing and is not running for a full term.

“It’s time," Lee said. "The strength, the perspective, the understanding. The strength of Black women is missing and has been missing and will be missing."

"And that’s a big difference about the lens that I bring," Lee said. "I’ve lived a life that so many in California have lived, being a former welfare recipient, living paycheck to paycheck, raising two small kids without money for childcare."

Lee has consistently polled in third among her fellow Democratic colleagues Congressman Adam Schiff and Congresswoman Katie Porter. And in the most recent Inside California Politics/Emerson College Poll, Lee came in 4th behind former LA Dodgers great Steve Garvey. 

Lee has also struggled to keep up with Schiff and Porter on the fundraising front but she says it’s not a fair assessment of her campaign. 

"Don't compare me to Adam Schiff and Katie Porter," Lee said. "I am a Black woman, a progressive Black woman, so I have to do this differently. Look at Mayor (Karen) Bass— $9 million. Her opponent, Mr. Caruso — $100 million. Guess who's Mayor of Los Angeles?"

Nexstar is following candidates to see what it is like to balance work and family during the U.S. Senate campaign. While there are some policy discussions in the story, the project is intended to capture glimpses of what you don’t see in traditional campaign coverage. All candidates received the request to participate at the same time. Candid coverage is being published as candidates make themselves available. In order to qualify, candidates must have polled above 5% in the most recent Nexstar poll. Look for features on additional Senate candidates in the coming days and weeks. 

In the race are fellow Democratic House members as well as several Republican contenders, but in a mid-December interview, Lee said that the things she has experienced in her life give her insight into the economic and healthcare struggles of everyday Americans. 

At the health facility named after her in the San Leandro Unified School District, Lee states some of the causes that she has fought for as a member of the House and will continue to fight for in the U.S. Senate if elected. 

“It’s all about health and wellness,” Lee said. “So many young people don’t have access to healthcare and mental healthcare…I’m sure when young people come into an exam room, they are not sure what to expect. But you come in here and look at the art, look at how calming it is, how beautiful it is, look at what’s on the wall, and I’m sure they feel comfortable with whatever is going to take place next, in terms of their exam, and that’s important.”

“They get the care they need and would not have if not for this center because we know what’s happening now in our healthcare system. It’s not accessible and affordable for everyone. Who knows what would happen to these young people if they did not have access to dental and mental health care.” 

Lee says that her understanding and handling of the current affordability crisis, as well as her accomplishments in previous public office, is why she believes she stands out in the race.

“There is an affordability crisis, and the drivers of the cost of living in California are housing costs, childcare, and healthcare.”

“Looking at this center, understanding what they are doing for our children is what I am doing in Congress. The campaign brings all of this together because what I am trying to do is explain my history.”

“I started the children’s health program when I was in the California Legislature, so people need to know what I have done and how that’s a determining factor and a driver of what I will do in the U.S. Senate, and that’s fighting for people such as young people who don’t have these opportunities in California, knowing that I’m there and that I see them and I will fight for them.”

Lee also says that her perspective as a Black woman is needed in Congress. 

“Representation matters. The first Senate and House went into session in 1789. Since 1789, there have been two elected African American women and one appointed, serving a total of 10 years. So it’s time. The strength, perspective, the understanding of Black women is missing [and] has been missing and will be missing,” Lee said. 

“The lens that I bring, having lived a life that so many here in California have lived: being a former welfare recipient, living paycheck to paycheck, raising two small kids, spending money for childcare, going to college, and taking my children with me to class because I could not afford it.”

“20 million people in California [are] one paycheck away from poverty, so I have many lived experiences. I’ve been without a place to live, and coming as a Black woman, I’ve had lived experiences that my other opponents have not had, and that’s extremely important.”

One of the lived experiences she says she’ll never forget dates back to when she was 15 years old when she went to Mexico to get an abortion. 

“My mother's friend was a Latina and took me across the border and I was terrified because it was illegal in Mexico, illegal in Texas, illegal in California, it was illegal everywhere. Just like now, all of these states that have criminalized abolition care, so I was really worried,” she said.

“I was afraid that I was going to be put in jail… but I had to do this. I’ll never forget it. It was late at night — about 10:30 or 11:00 — [in a] back-alley clinic. I remember exactly that moment and I remember the fear.” 

“During that time, the highest rate of death for Black women and Black girls was septic abortions, so I thought I could die. So you combine that fear of dying, of being arrested, fast forward to now. I had to step up and tell my story because I wanted other people to know that there was a member of Congress who understood what this meant. I am going to work day and night to get access to abortion as a federal policy.”

On foreign policy, Lee believes her record also stands out, noting that after the September 11 attacks, she was the sole member of Congress to vote against the Afghanistan war authorization.

Closer to home, she says she's experienced something many Californians can relate to: homelessness. 

“It was awful because I was a survivor of domestic violence. I didn’t have any money, didn’t have any place to go. I was out there roaming around. Fortunately, every now and then I could get some money, and get a part-time job, but not enough to pay rent.”

“I was in these fleabag hotels in San Francisco, it was awful. The damage, the trauma of being without a place to live, and for people living on the streets, that’s immoral, it’s unethical. They have been criminalized, the majority of them get put in jail instead of a decent shelter with mental health services and job training, so it’s a big issue for me.”

On a visit to the first-ever home that Lee bought when she was a single mother in Oakland, she described why affordable housing is such a big issue for her. 

“When I was here, I was on public assistance, food stamps, and Medi-Cal. Why this is important is housing, affordable housing is so important to Californians, especially for people like me, who would dream of being able to buy a house. (At the time) this house was expensive. It was $19,475.”

“But the federal government had a HUD program that allowed people like me who were on public assistance, food stamps, Medi-Cal, raising two little kids and taking them to class with me at Mills College because I couldn’t afford childcare, my government did that. It helped me. I was able to use the equity in this house and send my kids to college. I was able to start a small business.” 

“I share this story because it’s important that we understand that young people and low-income people deserve to be homeowners if they so desire because it’s the only way and the main pathway to acquire wealth in this country. Being back here in my first home where I paid $19,475 is very settling for me.”

“It also makes me more determined to make sure that everyone, people like myself,  people who don’t have a lot of money, people who are struggling, have a way to go to their government to help them out during some very difficult times.”

Nexstar is following candidates to see what it is like to balance work and family during the U.S. Senate campaign. While there are some policy discussions in the story, the project is intended to capture glimpses of what you don’t see in traditional campaign coverage. All candidates received the request to participate at the same time. Candid coverage is being published as candidates make themselves available. In order to qualify, candidates must have polled above 5% in the most recent Nexstar poll. Look for features on additional Senate candidates in the coming days and weeks. 

Garvey is the leading Republican candidate, and a recent poll from Politico and Morning Consult shows that he continues to gain more support from voters, finishing in a statistical tie for second place. 

Despite his improving position in the race, Garvey hasn’t run a traditional campaign and his policy positions are not fully known. 

He describes himself as a Republican, albeit a moderate one, and at his home in Palm Desert, he says that there are parallels between his career in pro sports and public office. 

“This is my office and kind of the museum so to speak. Like I said before, life is an accumulation of memories and moments, and I have been blessed to receive a number of awards,” Garvey said. 

“This is a pennant from the 1974 All-Star game. That was my first All-Star game. I was not on the ballot, so you had to write my name in. They started this groundswell of ‘Let’s get Steve into the All-Star game’ starting in Tampa, my hometown. Eventually, I got over a million write-in votes. As I think about it now, getting one million write-in votes may set a precedent for this election.” 

Garvey says that a lifetime spent in his adopted state allowed him to understand the issues it faces and shaped how he would address them if elected. 

“I always say I never took the field for Democrats or Republicans or independents or libertarians, I took the field for all the fans and I’m going to run for all the people,” Garvey said. 

“When I first came here, California was the heartbeat of America, and it’s just a murmur now. We want to bring that heartbeat back that America looks at and says, ‘That’s the kind of state I want to live in, not want to leave.’”

On a two-day campaign swing throughout eastern and Southern California in mid-December, Garvey met with experts who work on restoring the Salton Sea, trying to keep the body of water from evaporating and emitting toxic dust particles into the air. 

Garvey said that, in his part of the state, the lake’s evaporation can have profound impacts on residents who live nearby. 

“Living in the Coachella Valley, I learned a lot about the ever-shrinking level of the lake…and the increased salinization.”

“For me, it’s making sure whatever is done here protects the people. The silt is blown south into Imperial County and west into the Coachella Valley. Make sure first, we protect the people, then look at the ecology and environment, then look at the geothermal growth here — the harvesting so to speak of the brine where the lithium comes from and the potential for this to be a tremendous resource.” 

A “people first” mentality is something that Garvey believes has been missing in Washington, and it is a subject he touched on throughout the trip, highlighting what motivated him to join the race. 

“I take a lot of pride in California. I woke up in March, turned the TV on and saw the ugliness between politicians of different parties. No bipartisanship, (it is) partisan business as usual.”

“The people of California know who I am, and I thought…maybe at this time in my life, it's time to help the people of California.”

“Let’s be focused strictly on providing an economy for mom and dad with two children and two jobs, that’s going to allow them to save money, to be able to save for the future, to be able to provide their kids with the best schools available.”

The recent rise in inflation is also top of mind for Garvey, who gave some insight into how he would address some economic issues. 

“I go to the gas station at 7:30 a.m. and there will be all the trucks there of the hardworking men and women. They’re not buying 10 gallons worth of gas anymore. They’re buying $10 worth of gas.”

“Food is up 30 to 40 percent. So, at the end of the month, you’re down $800-900, and you worked as hard as you possibly could.”

“What we need to do is stimulate the economy, free market capitalism. Let’s cut back on these entitlements, let’s stop printing money. Let’s put money back into the country, into the men and women who have paid their taxes, who deserve to get the benefits of their hard-earned money.”

When asked about what he thinks of former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric against immigrants, Garvey said, “...Everybody has their opinion and I have mine, I think I’m very clear about that.”

“I think it’s very clear that I am common sense about this, protecting the citizens of America, of compassion for those people that have come into this country. We have to take care of them, to allow them to have basic needs of life. Anybody running for office has an opinion.”

In the town of Brawley in Imperial County, Garvey made a campaign stop at the OWB Packers beef processing plant, where he took a tour of the facility and met with some of the 862 employees who work there. 

“You work hard. You need lower taxes. You need affordability, you need your gas prices to be lower. Because for you to live the dream of being a citizen in this country, you need a voice that knows you, that respects you, and wants your quality of life to be the best it can be.”

On the second day of his tour around Southern California, Garvey visited the U.S.-Mexico border with Congressman Darrell Issa and the mayors of several cities.

The group visited Border Field State Park in Imperial Beach and part of the border wall that was started by Trump’s administration but stopped by Biden’s. 

Regarding immigration, Garvey said, “There is always perception and reality. Today is a shocking reality of exactly what our border security and customs people deal with on a daily basis.” 

“A wall like this, 40 feet high, having the illegal immigrants' ability to climb these walls from Mexico into the United States. These hard-working representatives are working hard every day for our country to keep a system that is legal, not illegal.”

In the middle of the tour, several migrants crossed into California through an opening and turned themselves in to U.S. authorities, seeking asylum. 

“...It’s one thing to watch videos and see pictures, it’s another thing to see them in person. This has been quite an awakening day for all of us,” Garvey said. 

“It’s an open border. The border was not finished by the Biden administration.” 

“We have to have a legal way for immigrants to come into this country. An illegal path is dangerous from a humanitarian standpoint. We have to do all we can to protect those who wish to come to this country, but it has to be through a new policy. There is a crisis at the border.”

Nexstar is following candidates to see what it is like to balance work and family during the U.S. Senate campaign. While there are some policy discussions in the story, the project is intended to capture glimpses of what you don’t see in traditional campaign coverage. All candidates received the request to participate at the same time. Candid coverage is being published as candidates make themselves available. In order to qualify, candidates must have polled above 5% in the most recent Nexstar poll. Look for features on additional Senate candidates in the coming days and weeks. 

The law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September was set to take effect Jan. 1. It would have prohibited people from carrying concealed guns in 26 places including public parks and playgrounds, churches, banks and zoos. The ban would apply whether the person has a permit to carry a concealed weapon or not. One exception would be for privately owned businesses that put up signs saying people are allowed to bring guns on their premises.

U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney granted a preliminary injunction blocking the law, which he wrote was “sweeping, repugnant to the Second Amendment, and openly defiant of the Supreme Court.”

The court case against the law will proceed while the law is blocked. The judge wrote that gun rights groups are likely to succeed in proving it unconstitutional, meaning it would be permanently overturned.

The decision is a victory for the California Rifle and Pistol Association, which sued to block the law. The measure overhauled the state’s rules for concealed carry permits in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, which set several states scrambling to react with their own laws. That decision said the constitutionality of gun laws must be assessed by whether they are “consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.”

“California progressive politicians refuse to accept the Supreme Court’s mandate from the Bruen case and are trying every creative ploy they can imagine to get around it,” the California association's president, Chuck Michel, said in a statement. “The Court saw through the State’s gambit.”

Michel said under the law, gun permit holders “wouldn’t be able to drive across town without passing through a prohibited area and breaking the law.” He said the judge's decision makes Californians safer because criminals are deterred when law-abiding citizens can defend themselves.

State Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office will appeal the decision, which he said if allowed to stand “would endanger communities by allowing guns in places where families and children gather.”

Newsom said he will keep pushing for stricter gun measures.

“Defying common sense, this ruling outrageously calls California’s data-backed gun safety efforts ‘repugnant.’ What is repugnant is this ruling, which greenlights the proliferation of guns in our hospitals, libraries, and children’s playgrounds — spaces, which should be safe for all," the governor said in a statement Wednesday evening.

Newsom has positioned himself as a national leader on gun control while he is being increasingly eyed as a potential presidential candidate. He has called for and signed a variety of bills, including measures targeting untraceable “ghost guns,” the marketing of firearms to children and allowing people to bring lawsuits over gun violence. That legislation was patterned on a Texas anti-abortion law.

Carney is a former Orange County Superior Court judge who was appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush in 2003.