California is a state in the United States that has been represented by Democrats for decades.
In 2024, there was an open seat election to fill the U.S. Senate position held by Dianne Feinstein since 1992 after her death in October of 2018 and subsequent appointment of Alex Padilla as a placeholder until the next general election.
Katie Porter, a Democrat from Irvine who ran as an outsider looking to shake things up, also received significant support but finished third.
The other leading candidate was Steve Garvey, a Republican who played Major League Baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1969 to 1987. He has never run for office before but managed to consolidate the Republican and conservative vote in the final weeks before the primary by running ads promoting Schiff.
The two leading candidates were Adam Schiff, a Democrat from Burbank who ran with endorsements from Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer and most Democrats representing California in Congress. He made national headlines for taking corporate political money in past races and led the first impeachment inquiry into former President Donald Trump.
California is a state in the United States that has been represented by Democrats for decades. In 2024, there was an open seat election to fill the U.S. Senate position held by Dianne Feinstein since 1992 after her death in October of 2018 and subsequent appointment of Alex Padilla as a placeholder until the next general election.
The two leading candidates were Adam Schiff, a Democrat from Burbank who ran with endorsements from Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer and most Democrats representing California in Congress. He made national headlines for taking corporate political money in past races and led the first impeachment inquiry into former President Donald Trump.
The other leading candidate was Steve Garvey, a Republican who played Major League Baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1969 to 1987. He has never run for office before but managed to consolidate the Republican and conservative vote in the final weeks before the primary by running ads promoting Schiff.
Katie Porter, a Democrat from Irvine who ran as an outsider looking to shake things up, also received significant support but finished third. Barbara Lee, another Democrat from Oakland who has been in Congress since 1987 and is known for her progressive views on issues such as healthcare and civil rights, finished fourth.
Adam Schiff ran as an establishment Democrat with endorsements from Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer and most of the Democrats who represent California in Congress.
Steve Garvey struggled to articulate policy positions during his short campaign but managed to consolidate the Republican and conservative vote in the final weeks before the primary.
Katie Porter called for a ban on stock trading among members of Congress and attacked Schiff for taking corporate political money in past races.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by mentioning the endorsements of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Senator Barbara Boxer. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing Schiff's impeachment inquiry into Trump as 'national headlines'. Additionally, there is a dichotomous depiction of Garvey being portrayed as an outsider while Porter is described as one.
The article mentions the endorsements of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Senator Barbara Boxer. This constitutes an appeal to authority fallacy.
Bias
(85%)
The article is biased towards Adam Schiff and against Steve Garvey. The author uses language that portrays Garvey as a fringe candidate who lacks policy positions while elevating Schiff's credentials as an establishment Democrat with endorsements from prominent politicians. Additionally, the author implies that Garvey only managed to consolidate the Republican vote due to Schiff running ads promoting him in order to avoid a runoff against another Democrat.
The article portrays Steve Garvey as a fringe candidate who lacks policy positions while elevating Adam Schiff's credentials as an establishment Democrat with endorsements from prominent politicians.
The author implies that Garvey only managed to consolidate the Republican vote due to Schiff running ads promoting him in order to avoid a runoff against another Democrat.
The U.S. Senate Primary Presidential County Results provide the expected vote, which is an estimate based on early votes and information from county election officials
Steve Garvey famously hit a walk-off home run off Lee Smith in Game 4 to keep the Padres alive in the 1984 National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs.
The state Republican Party has been in a decades-long tailspin in heavily Democratic California, where a GOP candidate hasn't won a U.S. Senate race since 1988 and registered Democrats outnumber Republicans voters by a staggering 2-to-1 margin.
Accuracy
Adam Schiff ran as an establishment Democrat with endorsements from Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer and most of the Democrats who represent California in Congress.
Steve Garvey struggled to articulate policy positions during his short campaign but managed to consolidate the Republican and conservative vote in the final weeks before the primary.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(0%)
The article contains an informal fallacy called 'appeals to authority'. The author states that the expected vote is based on information provided by county election officials. However, this does not necessarily mean that the information is accurate or reliable.
California Senate Primary Presidential County Results The expected vote is an estimate and can change as NBC News gathers new information.
Steve Garvey is running for the U.S. Senate seat in California.
The race is California's first open U.S. Senate contest since 2016.
Garvey famously hit a walk-off home run off Lee Smith in Game 4 to keep the Padres alive in the 1984 National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Garvey will face Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff in the election but fails to mention any other candidates running for the seat which could have been relevant information for readers to know about their options and make an informed decision.
The article mentions only two candidates running for the U.S Senate seat, when there are actually multiple candidates.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the success of other athletes-turned-politicians as a way for Garvey to follow in their footsteps and win the election. This is not a logical argument, as it does not take into account any specific qualities or qualifications that these politicians had that made them successful. Additionally, there are several instances where the author uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing San Diego's 1984 National League Championship Series victory in terms of a walk-off home run and using phrases like
The race is California’s first open U.S. Senate contest since 2016.
Garvey notched his spot on the fall ballot by positioning himself as an outsider running against entrenched Washington insiders whom he blamed for rising grocery and gas prices, out-of-reach housing costs and an unchecked homeless crisis in cities.
Bias
(80%)
The article is biased towards the Republican candidate Steve Garvey and his campaign. The author uses language that dehumanizes Democrats such as 'entrenched Washington insiders' and blames them for rising grocery and gas prices, out-of-reach housing costs, and an unchecked homeless crisis in cities. This is a clear example of political bias.
The article repeatedly mentions the Republican candidate Steve Garvey's conservative credentials as if they are evidence that he will be better for California than his Democratic opponents.
, Adam Schiff led the field alongside Garvey in the race for California's open Senate seat.
Steve Garvey is a former Los Angeles Dodgers player who has never run for office before. He struggled to articulate policy positions during his short campaign but managed to consolidate the Republican and conservative vote in the final weeks before the primary.
Accuracy
Adam Schiff successfully pulled Republican Steve Garvey into November
Steve Garvey struggled to articulate policy positions during his short campaign but managed to consolidate the Republican and conservative vote in the final weeks before the primary.
The outcome of Tuesday's race means that no matter who wins in November, California will not have a female representing the state in the U.S. Senate for the first time since 1992.
Deception
(80%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Katie Porter had kept the race close until the final six weeks but fails to mention that she was trailing behind Adam Schiff and Steve Garvey for most of the campaign. Secondly, it claims that Porter opted not to directly confront Schiff on TV but does not provide any evidence or context as to why this was so. Thirdly, it states that Garvey led the field alongside Schiff without mentioning that he joined the contest late and did little in terms of events and fundraising. Fourthly, it suggests that Porter's support remained relatively stagnant but does not provide any data or evidence to back up this claim.
The article claims that Porter opted not to directly confront Schiff on TV but does not provide any evidence or context as to why this was so. This is deceptive because it implies that Porter had the opportunity and ability to challenge Schiff's narrative, when in reality she may have been outmatched or lacked resources.
The article states that Garvey led the field alongside Schiff without mentioning that he joined the contest late and did little in terms of events and fundraising. This is deceptive because it implies that Garvey was a strong contender throughout, when in reality his presence was largely due to Schiff's spending on TV ads promoting him.
The article states that Katie Porter had kept the race close until the final six weeks but fails to mention that she was trailing behind Adam Schiff and Steve Garvey for most of the campaign. This is a lie by omission as it misleads readers into thinking that Porter was competitive throughout.
The article suggests that Porter's support remained relatively stagnant but does not provide any data or evidence to back up this claim. This is deceptive because it implies that Porter failed to gain traction despite her efforts, when in reality she may have been outspent and outmatched by Schiff.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Adam Schiff is a scourge of Donald Trump and his MAGA movement without providing any evidence or context for this claim. Additionally, the author makes use of inflammatory rhetoric when describing Garvey as being elevated to the Senate in November despite not doing much in terms of events and fundraising. The article also contains a dichotomous depiction by stating that Schiff successfully harnessed his starring role in the first Trump impeachment to outraise the entire field, while Porter opted not to directly confront him on the airwaves. This creates an either/or situation where one candidate is portrayed as being successful and effective while another is depicted as failing or weak.
Adam Schiff is a scourge of Donald Trump and his MAGA movement
Republican Steve Garvey was elevated to the Senate in November despite not doing much in terms of events and fundraising.
Bias
(80%)
The article is biased towards Adam Schiff and his campaign. The author uses language that portrays Schiff as a hero who has been fighting against Trump and the MAGA movement since he was elected to Congress in 2016. This bias is evident when the author describes him as a 'scourge of Donald Trump' and says that he successfully harnessed his starring role in the first Trump impeachment to outraise all other candidates by multiples, then turned on the spending spigot to run millions in TV ads promoting Garvey. The article also portrays Schiff as a progressive who is fighting against corporations and has been endorsed by Elizabeth Warren. This bias is evident when the author describes him as 'a protege of Sen. Elizabeth Warren' and says that he will be the first white man from California to serve in the Senate since 1993 if elected.
The article mentions Elizabeth Warren endorsing Schiff and says that he will be the first white man from California to serve in the Senate since 1993 if elected.
The article uses language such as 'scourge of Donald Trump' and 'starring role in the first Trump impeachment', which portrays Adam Schiff as a hero fighting against President Trump.
The author describes Schiff as a progressive who is fighting against corporations, which portrays him as an ally of Elizabeth Warren.
The author describes Schiff's campaign spending on TV ads promoting Garvey, saying that he punched up Garvey's presence with well over $10 million in TV ads about him.
, The Associated Press called the race for Adam B. Schiff less than half an hour after polls closed and at about 9 p.m.
, Steve Garvey entered the race in October.
Accuracy
Adam B. Schiff campaigned for more than a year to replace the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Steve Garvey entered the race in October.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title implies that this is a primary election when it's actually just one of many candidates running for the seat left vacant by Dianne Feinstein. Secondly, the author quotes Steve Garvey as saying 'I am not a Democrat', but he ran on the Democratic ticket and was endorsed by several prominent Democrats including Nancy Pelosi.
The title implies that this is a primary election when it's actually just one of many candidates running for the seat left vacant by Dianne Feinstein.
The author quotes Steve Garvey as saying 'I am not a Democrat', but he ran on the Democratic ticket and was endorsed by several prominent Democrats including Nancy Pelosi.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it mentions that the Associated Press called the race for Schiff less than half an hour after polls closed and at about 9 p.m., without providing any evidence or context for this claim.
Bias
(85%)
The article is biased towards the Democratic candidates and against the Republican candidate. The author uses language that dehumanizes Garvey by referring to him as a 'Republican' rather than just a political opponent. Additionally, they use quotes from Schiff where he talks about facing opposition from Republicans in Washington which implies that all Republicans are against him.
Laura J. Nelson, Benjamin Oreskes and Seema Mehta write:
The article refers to Steve Garvey as a 'Republican'
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The article by Laura J. Nelson, Benjamin Oreskes and Seema Mehta has multiple conflicts of interest on the topics provided.
Laura J. Nelson is a member of the California State Assembly representing District 41 which includes Burbank.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author has conflicts of interest on the topics of California Senate election and Adam B. Schiff.
