Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Friday fundraised for his Senate bid off of former President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to his home state.
Schiff’s campaign for outgoing Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) seat sent out a fundraising email on Friday afternoon alerting supporters that the 45th president would be visiting California later this month to speak at the state Republican Party’s fall convention.
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“Donald Trump is coming to California in just three weeks,” the email reads. “He will be headlining a massive event for the California Republican Party before heading to his own fundraiser in Costa Mesa — and tickets are selling for as much as $23,000. I can think of 23,000 better ways to spend your money. Here’s one: Instead of getting a photo-op with Donald Trump for $23,000, I’m asking you to donate $2.30 to help protect our democracy and make sure he never gets back to the White House.”
Trump is one of four 2024 GOP hopefuls who will speak at the event, scheduled for Sept. 29 in Anaheim, California. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are also slated to address the convention that weekend.
Schiff, who represents the Burbank, Glendale, and Hollywood areas of Los Angeles, is in an expensive fight for Feinstein’s coveted Senate seat.
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 are baseball legend Steve Garvey, who is mulling a bid as a moderate Republican, and 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.
However, a significant majority of California voters are still undecided, leaving the contest wide open.
California operates with a “jungle primary” system, in which 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 in which two Democrats advanced to the general election.
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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.
