Legendary Baseball Player Considering U.S. Senate Run in California

The race for Sen. Diane Feinstein’s California senate seat in 2024 is starting to heat up.

Feinstein, 89, will retire from Congress after this term.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., will retire from Congress at the end of 2024 after three decades in the Senate and over 50 years in public office, she announced Tuesday.

“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.

Feinstein, 89, is the oldest sitting senator and the longest-serving senator from her state, having first been elected to the Senate in 1992. She had been under pressure for years from other Democrats in the state to make room for a younger generation of lawmakers.

Two California House Democrats, Adam Schiff and Katie Porter, have declared candidacies to fill the soon-to-be open seat.

Feinstein’s health continues to deteriorate and there’s speculation she may not serve the entire term.

In those circumstances, California Gov. Gavin Newsom may have to select a replacement.

Oprah Winfrey was one name reportedly considered should Feinstein resign.

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However, it appears there could be a Republican candidate getting ready to enter the senatorial race.

Baseball legend Steve Garvey, 74, reportedly is considering a run for Feinstein's seat in 2024.

Garvey played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1987.

🚨Report: Former Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Steve Garvey is considering running as a Republican in the 2024 California Senate Race. pic.twitter.com/Nxc1bXFwIW

— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) June 2, 2023

According to reports, Garvey is meeting with voters and senior GOP officials.

AP reports:

Baseball legend Steve Garvey, who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, is meeting with voters and senior GOP officials as he weighs a potential 2024 Senate bid in a race that already has several prominent Democratic contenders. He appeared at a recent fundraiser for Republican Rep. Michelle Steel in Orange County, where he signed baseballs and talked about his potential candidacy.

“He is seriously considering entering the race,” said veteran consultant Andy Gharakhani, who is advising Garvey.

Garvey has flirted with the possibility of entering politics before, including after his retirement from baseball, when he teased a possible U.S. Senate run but never became a candidate.

“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.