Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) is focusing more on his accomplishments for Californians in the House and less on his work investigating former President Donald Trump in the competitive contest for outgoing Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) seat.
Despite rising to prominence as a leading anti-Trump voice, Schiff has largely shifted his focus to bread-and-butter issues as he traverses the Golden State on the campaign trail. Schiff, who represents the Burbank, Glendale, and Hollywood areas of Los Angeles, California, in the House, is in an expensive fight for Feinstein’s coveted Senate seat.
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This isn’t to say that Schiff was never actively commenting on policy or that he’s shying away from Trump criticism — he was on MSNBC and CNN last week, albeit virtually, praising the Georgia indictment and calling the 45th president a threat to democracy. Still, the heavy focus on issues such as homelessness, climate change, immigration, and the economy marks a noteworthy shift for Trump’s chief House foe, who chaired the House Intelligence Committee and served on the January 6 Select Committee.
“Let me just introduce myself,” Schiff said at an event in Sacramento, California, earlier this month. “Because a lot of you know me as the guy that stood up to Donald Trump.”
Reached for comment by the Washington Examiner on the shift, a Schiff campaign spokeswoman pointed to remarks he made last week about prioritizing state and local issues while still remaining active in national politics.
“I’ve felt, ever since I got to Congress, that if my constituents don’t know what I’m doing, it’s not on them. It’s on me,” Schiff said in an interview published Thursday. “With respect to some of the national challenges, like the challenge to our democracy, there’s so many people out there putting out bad information. I think it’s very important to be a great explainer and put in context what’s happening in the country.”
Public polling on the Senate race shows Schiff and Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) essentially tied for the top spot and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) not far behind, within the margin of error in most surveys. Also in the mix is former tech executive Lexi Reese, a Democrat who raised an impressive $1 million in the second quarter of this year but is an unknown in the state. A significant majority of California voters, however, are still undecided, leaving the contest wide open.
California operates with a “jungle primary” system, wherein candidates from all parties compete to be one of two finalists in the general election. Given the state’s heavily blue tilt, there have been multiple instances where two Democrats have advanced to the general election.
Schiff boasts an impressive fundraising network and the support of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), a powerhouse in California politics. What he lacks is a strong connection to the northern and central parts of the state, something Lee has in her favor. He also lacks a national profile outside of his Trump battles, despite leading the Intelligence Committee and developing an impressive national security background over the course of his congressional career.
Asked about that earlier this month, the House lawmaker pointed to his legislative accomplishments to showcase why he was most qualified for the Senate job.
“I have the best record of actually getting things done,” Schiff explained. “Of building mass transit, of building an early earthquake warning system, of getting legislation passed to bring up-to-date textbooks to schools, of bringing millions of dollars back to California to find shelter for the homeless.”
“It’s why so many of the California members of Congress have endorsed me,” he added. “Most people know me from my opposition to the former president, but the folks on the delegation know me for my work, getting things done and delivering for Californians every day.”
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He’s led his 2024 bid by highlighting that work at events, in interviews, and on his campaign website, which only briefly mentions Trump on a page titled “Adam’s Accomplishments” under the section: “Democracy & Voting Rights.”
The section references Schiff’s work on the first Trump impeachment inquiry in 2019, described as “the first bipartisan vote ever to remove a sitting president from office.” As for his work on the Intelligence and January 6 panels, the site says Schiff “worked alongside his colleagues to protect our democracy, uncover the truth, uphold the rule of law, and hold insurrectionists accountable.”
