Schiff & Garvey will Face Off in Senate Candidate Forum Oct. 8th

After months of anticipation, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) and former baseball star Steve Garvey (R) are to finally face off against each other once again at a candidate forum to be held on Tuesday, October 8th in Los Angeles.

Previously, both Garvey and Schiff had only met in debates with other candidates, namely Congresswomen Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Katie Porter (D-CA), who also ran for Senate earlier this year in the Primary. In the first debate in Los Angeles in January, Schiff was generally seen as the winner, with Porter also giving a strong showing. Garvey, however, was seen as ill-prepared and not used to debating. In the second debate the next month in San Francisco, Garvey roared back, winning the debate and stunning the other candidates with such a strong showing, even throwing off Porter at several times. At the the third debate a few weeks later back in L.A., no real winner was declared.

Thanks in part to the latter debates, Garvey steamed ahead in polls, shooting up past Porter, who had been widely expected to battle Schiff for the seat. Schiff and Garvey ultimately made it past the primary, and ever since, have not had a debate or forum. With a month left to go before the election, and Schiff currently at a major lead in the polls, both sides have been wanting another head to head confrontation. Garvey wants to climb back up and give a surprisingly high showing for a GOP candidate in California, with Republicans wanting to add more proof to show that the tide is beginning to change in California on party popularity. Schiff, meanwhile, is trying to keep Garvey below the 40% threshold and not become the first Democratic Senate candidate to not get 60% in decades.

With both candidates eager to meet again, it was announced this week that a candidate forum is to be held on Tuesday, October 8th in Los Angeles. Co-Sponsored by ABC7 and the League of Women Voters of California, the hosts of the debate will include ABC7 anchor Marc Brown, KGO-TV anchor Kristen Sze, KFSN-TV anchor Warren Armstrong, and Univision Los Angeles anchor Gabriela Teissier. The Forum is currently scheduled for 5 P.M. and can be seen either on ABC stations or through the ABC7 streaming app.

“Both candidates wanted another chance to go out there against each other,” explained Stephanie Lewis, a pollster in Southern California, to the Globe on Thursday. “And many voters wanted it too, especially with mail-in ballots being sent out soon and many wanting to hear where their positions are on a number of subjects. So we have a candidate forum now. This isn’t a debate. Instead candidates will simply discuss issues. It may not be the snappy back and forth some are expecting, especially after those two Presidential debates earlier this year, but we will have answers from candidates.

“Also, with a forum, the cards will generally be more on the table. There is still room for zingers in there, but again, it’s harder to fit those in in a civil discussion. For many still wondering where Schiff and Garvey stand, the forum should clear up things on many issues.”