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Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) had a plan during the primary. Instead of spending his vast campaign warchest boosting himself, he spent it boosting former baseball player Steve Garvey, who is a Republican. The ads all said that Garvey was the only true conservative in the race, thus encouraging Republicans to come out and vote. The idea was to make sure Garvey came in second in California's top-two primary system, thus allowing Schiff to avoid a November battle with another Democrat. Ratf**king at its finest. It worked like a charm, as Schiff faces the hopeless Garvey in November.
Now given California's blue lean, Schiff isn't even bothering to campaign for himself. He hasn't even run any ads so far. His own election is a done deal. Instead, he spends his time campaigning for other Democrats, mostly Democratic challengers trying to knock off incumbent House Republicans in California, and vulnerable Democratic senators out of state. This kind of team spirit could pay off for him later when Schiff would like to be on certain committees or later be in leadership positions. Politicians tend to remember who was there when they needed help.
For Schiff, campaigning across California for the competitive House races is a twofer. It helps the Democrats capture the House, but also increases his own exposure in parts of the state far from his Burbank district. He also said: "I want a Democratic House to work with."
In October, Schiff is going to barnstorm all the competitive House districts in California and make at least six trips out of state to help shore up Democrats in tight Senate races. He is a prolific fundraiser and has raised $7 million for Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party committees. He also transferred $1 million from his own campaign to the DSCC. He has a national e-mail list and is happy to share it with other Democrats. This is how you make friends and influence people when you are a first-term junior senator. This is not Schiff's first time playing Santa Claus. In 2020, he gave out $19 million to Joe Biden and candidates for the House and Senate.
Dan Newman, an advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), said: "The race ended in March, so Senator-elect Schiff is doing exactly what he should to maximize his impact in the Senate." He's not exactly a senator-elect yet, but that is just a minor formality. (V)