Rep. Adam Schiff, who won the recent California primaries and will contest the Senate seat held by the late Dianne Feinstein, said his opponent, Katie Porter, congratulated him on his victory despite also claiming that the contest was rigged. Speaking to NBC, Mr. Schiff said Porter had been very gracious in her congratulations and that he appreciated her call. He also acknowledged that losing an election is a very tough experience and one he has also experienced.
Having said the election was “rigged,” Rep. Porter altered her choice of words and clarified that she meant it had been conducted through “dishonest” means. Schiff hit back and said Porter should be more careful with her words and should not use terms like “rigged” because it is a loaded word in “the era of Donald Trump.”
Porter clarified what she felt was dishonest conduct and stated that a few billionaires had spent millions of dollars attacking her and it was her democratic duty to call that out. The Representative argues that “dark money” is manipulating American democracy but added that the count and broader election process were “beyond reproach.”
Rep. Porter, furthermore, did not back down in a subsequent statement. She noted that ads published about her were proven to contain lies, and there was nothing she could do to counter them. Commentators suggest Porter was referring to super PACs who spent millions elevating GOP candidate Steve Garvey at her expense and with the explicit intent of setting up a Schiff versus Garvey contest. The race was an open primary, meaning the top two candidates advance to the Senate competition, regardless of party. Therefore, Schiff’s eventual victory would have been less likely if he were competing against a fellow Democrat in the heavily blue state of California.
Mr. Schiff, endorsed by Nancy Pelosi early on, is fighting for the Senate seat currently held by Laphonza Butler, whom Governor Gavin Newsom appointed when Senator Feinstein died last year.
