Pro-Armenian Senator Schiff's advertisement angers US Democrats, Republicans

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff is making crystal clear who he would rather run against in November, releasing a new TV ad on February 1 that contrasts himself with Republican former Major League ballplayer Steve Garvey.

Schiff’s ad describes Garvey as too conservative for California — “he voted for Trump, twice, and supported Republicans for years, including far right conservatives”, according to Politico.

Garvey, a first-time contender with little chance of winning an election in deep blue California, has barely raised enough money to run an operation and lacks the resources to air TV ads of his own. The assist from Schiff — which sends a strong signal to Republican voters in the state that Garvey should be their choice — comes just as the GOP (Republican party) candidate and Democrat Katie Porter are battling for a second-place finish on March 5 to advance to the fall runoff.

Porter blasted Schiff out of the gate, calling the tactic “cynical” and saying the Congress member acted out of fear he would fall to Porter in a November matchup.

“Republicans for statewide office can’t raise any money so they aren’t masters of their own fate,” said Jon Fleischman, a former executive director of the California Republican Party and strategist who has lamented the top-two primary as well-intentioned but allowing for too much gamesmanship. “These ads from Schiff will do more to promote Garvey than anything Garvey can do on his own.”

Still, Fleischman called Schiff’s ads “smart.”

“If he can successfully bring Garvey into the runoff with him, then his campaign is over and he won’t have to spend any money because we live in a blue state and a Republican isn’t viable statewide,” he said.

Matt Shupe, Garvey’s spokesperson, characterized the spot as a “trite political hatchet job.”

“Steve Garvey’s campaign has always been and will continue to be about bringing all Californians together for commonsense, compassionate solutions to today’s real problems, not trite political hatchet jobs. Californians are tired of this divisive rhetoric that aims to separate us into simple buckets against ourselves rather than unite us in common cause to better all of our lives. This is why Steve Garvey continues to rise in the polls.”