Schiff Maintains Lead as California Senate Candidates Clash in Second Debate

Four candidates seeking California's U.S. Senate seat gathered in a San Francisco television studio Monday night to make their case to voters with early ballots already in circulation. The debate, hosted by KRON 4 and moderated by Frank Buckley and Nikki Laurenzo of the "Inside California Politics" program, featured Democrat Adam Schiff of Burbank, Democrat Katie Porter of Irvine, Democrat Barbara Lee of Oakland, and Republican Steve Garvey of Palm Desert—a former major league baseball player. With the March 5 primary less than three weeks away, the four were revisiting familiar terrain: the cost of living, homelessness, crime, border security, and the Middle East conflict. The stage itself felt like a return engagement; these same candidates had debated once before, on January 22 at USC, and the second round offered little evidence that the dynamics had shifted.

Polling data heading into Monday's debate showed Schiff holding a commanding lead, with Porter and Garvey locked in a tight contest for second place and Lee trailing but still competitive. Because California's primary system advances the top two vote-getters regardless of party affiliation, the race has become a scramble for that second slot—a dynamic that shapes every candidate's strategy. Yet the debate itself seemed unlikely to upend those standings. The candidates largely adhered to the talking points they had refined over weeks of campaigning, and while they took occasional swipes at one another, none landed with particular force or memorability.

Porter questioned Schiff's consistency on age limits, noting that he had opposed age restrictions for members of Congress while supporting them for Supreme Court justices. Schiff countered that lifetime tenure on the bench made the cases fundamentally different, and pivoted to a familiar criticism of Porter: that Washington is full of politicians claiming they will "get things done." Garvey, the only Republican on stage, attacked all three Democrats as "career politicians that have failed the people" on housing affordability. The exchanges had energy but lacked the kind of sharp, quotable moments that reshape a race.

The moderators, by contrast, proved more aggressive. They pressed Porter on why she had waited until the previous week to unveil a housing affordability plan, despite serving in Congress for more than five years. When she cited important hearings and Washington's inattention to California's needs, they asked the question again, unsatisfied. They confronted Schiff about the rising homelessness in his district despite stable population, and he acknowledged that addressing the crisis required more than one congressman's effort, though he noted he had brought federal funding to the area. They repeatedly asked Garvey which specific housing regulations he would eliminate to make homes more affordable, and his vague response—"regulations on housing"—exposed a gap between his critique and any detailed policy alternative. They challenged Lee's call for a $50 minimum wage, asking whether such a figure was sustainable, and she deflected by saying she was focused on what California needed.

On crime, moderators pressed Lee directly: had progressive reforms gone too far in her own Oakland district, contributing to rising crime? She initially offered broader arguments about sentencing and public safety, but when asked again, she gave a simple answer: "No." On Gaza, Schiff was asked why he had not called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and whether that put him at odds with President Biden. He said Hamas had provoked the response and that Israel had a right to defend itself, but he agreed with Biden that civilian casualties must be minimized and that a humanitarian pause was necessary. Porter, when asked about peace with Hamas, said any resolution must include hostage releases and U.S. and Israeli commitments to rebuild Gaza, and that a bilateral ceasefire required different leadership in Gaza. Garvey, asked whether he would accept an endorsement from Donald Trump, deflected by invoking the right to vote and saying he hoped the question would end the "constant badgering" about the former president. When pressed on whether he had spoken to Trump, he said he had not and that he had "personal choices."

The debate included lighter moments. Moderators asked candidates about their favorite films and recent books. Lee chose "The Color Purple" and Toni Morrison's "Beloved." Garvey picked "The Natural" and Os Guinness' "The Case for Civility." Schiff went with "The Big Lebowski" and Ron Chernow's "Grant." Porter selected "Star Wars" and Helen Klein Ross' "The Latecomers." These glimpses into the candidates' tastes offered little insight into their fitness for office but provided a brief respite from the grinding policy questions.

As voters continue to cast ballots ahead of March 5, the debate appears unlikely to reshape the race significantly. The candidates delivered the arguments they had honed in the previous debate and on the campaign trail, the moderators pressed for specificity with mixed results, and the polling landscape remained essentially unchanged. The real test will come when ballots are counted and California voters reveal which two candidates they have chosen to advance to November.