Democrat Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey advanced from California’s U.S. Senate primary, setting up a closely watched general election battle that will determine who fills the seat once held by the late Dianne Feinstein.

Schiff entered the race as the clear frontrunner and ultimately finished on top after months of polling that consistently showed him leading the crowded field. Garvey, a former baseball star with no prior elected experience, secured the second-place position and emerged as the lone Republican advancing to November in heavily Democratic California.

The outcome was a setback for fellow Democratic candidates Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, both of whom struggled to break through as Schiff consolidated mainstream Democratic support while Garvey attracted Republican and independent voters looking for an outsider candidate.

The race also marks a historic transition for California politics. For the first time in decades, California will not have a woman serving in the U.S. Senate after the retirement and passing of Feinstein, who died in September at age 90 following one of the longest Senate careers in American history.

After Feinstein’s death, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler to temporarily fill the seat. Butler later announced she would not run for a full term, leaving the contest wide open.

Garvey’s unexpected rise turned the race into one of the more unusual Senate contests in recent California history. Best known for helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win the 1981 World Series, Garvey entered politics arguing that California has lost the energy and prosperity it once represented.

Speaking during a previous interview with Fox News, Garvey said he entered the race after failing to find a candidate who reflected his values.

“Earlier this year, I wondered, ‘Let’s see who I can get behind in California that I can support, that had my values and my commitment to this country,’ and I couldn’t find anybody,” Garvey said. “I woke up one morning and decided to see if there’s a pathway to run for the U.S. Senate.”

Garvey has centered much of his campaign on economic frustrations facing Californians, arguing that inflation, high taxes, crime concerns, and business regulations have weakened the state’s quality of life.

He described California as once being the “heartbeat of America” but claimed it has now become a “murmur” because of rising costs and public safety concerns.

“The challenges of hardworking Californians getting up every day and knowing that, under our economy now and inflation, that by the time the month’s over, they could be losing seven, eight, $900,” Garvey said.

“What I’ll focus on is getting back to a free market, capitalism, that will target small businesses,” he added, arguing that many entrepreneurs have left California because of the business climate.

Garvey also emphasized leadership and teamwork as central themes of his candidacy, comparing politics to building successful sports teams during his years in Major League Baseball.

Meanwhile, Schiff enters the general election with strong name recognition nationwide after becoming one of the leading Democratic figures opposing Donald Trump during Trump’s first term. Schiff played a major role in congressional investigations into alleged Russian election interference and later served as a lead impeachment manager during Trump’s first impeachment trial.

At the same time, Schiff has faced criticism from Republicans over allegations involving residency and property tax filings tied to homes in both California and Maryland. Critics have accused him of improperly benefiting from homeowner tax exemptions, though Schiff has denied wrongdoing.

The November matchup now sets the stage for a high-profile battle between one of the Democratic Party’s best-known Trump critics and a celebrity Republican outsider attempting to break the GOP’s long losing streak in statewide California elections.