Vying to become California’s next U.S. senator, Democrat Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey each raised more than $3 million between Feb. 15 and March 31, according to the latest federal campaign finance reports filed today.
But Schiff has maintained a fundraising edge, shelling out $12.5 million during those six weeks — almost five times what Garvey spent in the same period. The Burbank member of Congress entered April with $4.8 million on hand — triple the amount in Garvey’s bank.
Much of Schiff’s spending went to boosting Garvey during the primary — in the weeks leading up to March 5, Schiff’s campaign spent tens of millions to air ads depicting the race as one between Schiff and Garvey, associating the Republican with former President Donald Trump.
Consultants have argued that the ad blitz helped guarantee an easier opponent for Schiff than fellow Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee or Katie Porter would have been, since no Republican has won a statewide race in California since 2006.
Schiff raised almost $3.6 million between Feb. 15 and March 31, records show. Schiff — the most staunch supporter of Israel in the Gaza War among the three top Democrats in the primary — also reported more than $44,000 in checks collected by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on his behalf. He refused to call for a ceasefire until President Joe Biden did so last month, linking it to a larger deal.
Garvey, on the other hand, reported raising $3.4 million between Feb. 15 and March 31, with $5,000 each from leadership PACs associated with Republican U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert of California and Sens. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming. He also netted $250 from the Conservative Campaign Committee, formerly the Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama.
Garvey reported spending $2.5 million during the same period, including more than $953,000 in digital fundraising and $80,000 in consulting services. He also paid $6,500 to his son, Ryan Garvey, for consulting, after paying him $19,500 throughout the campaign, records show.
At the end of March, Garvey’s campaign owed more than $373,000 to multiple firms for fundraising and donor list services, records show.
While it is not uncommon for campaigns to accumulate debt during an election cycle, the debt puts Garvey’s fundraising efforts further behind Schiff, who entered April with no debt.
Garvey, himself, also owed at least $350,000 and as much as $750,000 in federal and state taxes, according to his February financial disclosure statement first reported by The Sacramento Bee. Garvey said last month he was working “diligently” to resolve the tax debt by the end of the year.
