On November 5, 2024, Americans nationwide will go to their polling stations to vote in federal and state elections. Although some only vote for the presidential candidate on the ballot, state and local officials can significantly impact daily life more than the president.
The California Senate race is in full steam heading into the election, with two candidates from the two main political parties competing. The Democrats have selected Adam B. Schiff as their candidate, while the Republicans have chosen Steve Garvey as their preferred candidate.
Economy:
According to KTVU FOX 2, Adam B. Schiff plans to drive down the cost of “prescription drugs, gas, food, housing, and childcare.” and called for federal rules on price gouging and better antitrust enforcement against companies. In an interview with FOX 11, referenced by KTVU FOX 2, Schiff proposed a tax cut and restoration of the State and Local Tax Deduction for families making less than $400,000.
On the other hand, according to KTVU FOX 2, Steve Garvey plans to control the cost of living by “controlling federal spending, codifying regulatory budgets into law, stopping policymakers from implementing costly regulations, and holding the Federal Reserve accountable.”
Border and Immigration Policy:
According to Adam B. Schiff’s campaign website, Schiff believes that the asylum process is broken and takes too long, requiring it to be reformed while securing the border. He also plans to create a path to citizenship for Dreamers and other undocumented people.
In contrast, according to Steve Garvey’s campaign website, Steve Garvey plans to “Secure The Border,” “Increase Border Patrol,” “Support ‘Stay in Mexico’ Policy,” and “End ‘Catch and Release.’” He plans to accomplish his goals with three policy proposals; his first is to “Increase funding for border security,” his second proposal is to “Limit asylum claims for those entering illegally,” and his final policy proposal is to “Enact immigration reform to address these challenges, once and for all.”
Abortion:
According to CalMatters, Schiff “supports making the right to abortion a federal law and hammered Garvey for supporting the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade.”
While Garvey, according to CalMatters, “believes reproductive freedom is a state-by-state issue” and “said he supported the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which ended decades of federal protection for abortion and relegated the decision-making power to the states.”
LGBTQ+ Rights:
According to Adam B. Schiff’s campaign website, Schiff believes in equality for LGBTQ+ citizens, ending LGBTQ+ discrimination, increasing access to healthcare for LGBTQ+ communities, and guaranteeing that LGBTQ+ families are treated equally when adopting children.
Contrasting is Steve Garvey, for which I could not find verifiable evidence of his stance on most LGBTQ+ issues aside from a Fox News article where he is in support of excluding transgender people from women’s sports while supporting the players and teams that protest competing against teams which have transgender players.
Overall:
Both candidates offer differing beliefs on various issues, from the economy to LGBTQ+ rights, but it is up to you to vote for the candidate you believe in the most. So, vote, as it is one way your voice is heard.
