Representative Adam B. Schiff Denies Primary Rigging Allegations
Last week, Representative Adam B. Schiff secured the Democratic nomination for an open Senate seat in California. However, his victory was marred by allegations of rigging from one of his primary opponents, Representative Katie Porter.
Porter claimed that wealthy donors had spent millions of dollars to rig the primary in Schiff’s favor. In response, Schiff denied the accusations, stating that the term “rigged” connotes fraud and false claims, similar to those made by former President Donald J. Trump regarding the 2020 presidential election.
Schiff emphasized that Democrats swiftly rebuked Porter’s assertions, with Senator Alex Padilla dismissing them as “ridiculous.” He also highlighted the contrast between how Democrats handle such allegations compared to the Republican Party’s response to claims of rigged elections.
Despite the controversy, Porter failed to advance in the Senate primary, with Schiff and his allies spending heavily on television ads targeting their Republican opponent, Steve Garvey. Schiff’s campaign strategy, which included drawing Republican voters to the polls, drew criticism from Porter as “brazenly cynical.”
In defense of his tactics, Schiff stated that he simply went after his Republican opponent, similar to his Democratic colleagues. The primary results have set the stage for a competitive general election in California’s “jungle” primary, where the top two finishers advance regardless of party affiliation.
