Porter defends ad highlighting little-known Republican rival in Senate race

(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

Porter defends ad highlighting little-known Republican rival in Senate race

Elections 2024, California politics

Ziema Mehta

February 17, 2024

Rep. Katie Porter, who accused her chief Democratic rival in the Senate race of cynicism for trying to support a Republican in the race, is now doing the same.

The

Orange County Irvine

Congressman, who is battling Republican former baseball player Steve Garvey for second place in the March 5 primary, is running digital ads touting the conservative credentials of one of Garvey’s Republican rivals.

The Facebook ads claim that Eric Early, a lawyer and perennial candidate who is polling in the low singles in Senate elections, is the real conservative in the race.

Who is the real Republican threat in the battle for the Senate in California? MAGA Republican Eric Early proudly stands behind Donald Trump, while Steve Garvey refuses to tell us who he supports. Garvey claimed he might even vote for Joe Biden. Get the facts, the Facebook post says.

While the ad ostensibly criticizes Early, it is similar to other recent Democratic efforts to boost Republicans’ standing in elections, a byproduct of the state’s open primary system. The top two vote getters in March will advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. While Democrats dominate California’s voter rolls, if Republicans consolidate in a crowded field behind one candidate, he or she could win one of those two spots.

If Porter’s ad increases support for Early among Republican voters, it would erode Garvey’s support, potentially allowing Porter to take second place.

Democratic

Representative Adam

b.

Ship

(D-Burbank)

seems confident, based on opinion polls, that he will take first place in the primaries. His campaign and a

S

super PAC backing his bid is spending millions of dollars on television ads highlighting Garvey.

Two leading candidates for the Senate. Two very different visions for California, a narrator says in a Schiff campaign ad, later noting that Garvey is too conservative for California and voted for

Donald, former president

Trump twice.

Porter denounced the effort at the time as a political ploy.

Adam Schiff knows he’s going to lose to me in November. That’s what this blatantly cynical ad is about furthering his own political career, excluding qualified Democratic female candidates, and encouraging a Republican candidate to do so. she wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. We need honest leadership, not political games.

On Saturday, Porter argued that her message aimed at Early was not the same as Schiff’s ad about Garvey.

It’s a big difference. Because for starters, Eric Early is the candidate Trump is supporting in this race. And so we’re being honest with voters about who the MAGA conservative is, and I think it’s really important that people know that, she told reporters after a campaign event at a Mexican restaurant in Long Beach. And look, this is a tough race. We’re going to cross the finish line. But I think it’s important that we try to send a positive message above all, and that’s where most of our efforts are focused. But we must also inform all voters about what is at stake in the elections.

Garvey accused Porter of hypocrisy.

This is typical behavior of career politicians. They say one thing and then do another, he said.

Schiff and Early did not respond to requests for comment.

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