In the only scheduled debate of California’s U.S. Senate race, Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff tried to show that his Republican opponent Steve Garvey is solidly committed to supporting Donald Trump.

Garvey, on the other hand, kept reminding viewers Schiff, a Democratic congressman from Burbank, is so devoted to “going after” the former president that he doesn’t care about his California constituency.

Schiff has a big poll lead and is a strong favorite to win the seat that Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif, held for 31 years before her death a year ago. Sen. Laphonza Butler, a Democrat, was appointed to the seat and is not seeking another term.

At times Tuesday, it seemed there was a third person hovering over the stage – Trump.

Garvey, the Republican former baseball all-star, said he voted for Trump in the past and plans to do so again in November.

“You’ve been trying to paint me for a year now into one corner or another,” he said. “I did vote for Donald Trump three times. I believe he’s the best man for the job,” Garvey said. “We were much safer. We had a better economy … we had more to look forward to. People could dream.”

He turned to Schiff, who was the lead prosecutor in the House’s 2021 impeachment of the former president.

“I can’t imagine Mr. Schiff how you can get up every morning and have one mission and that’s to go after Donald Trump. You’ve been made a proxy by the higher-ups in your party,” Garvey charged.

Such talk, Schiff said, is Garvey’s “way of telling the MAGA viewers out there hey, ‘I’m one of you.'”

MAGA is Trump’s Make America Great Again movement, and it’s never been popular in California. Trump lost the state by big margins in his 2016 and 2020 presidential bids and polls say he’s on track for another dismal showing.

Schiff fired back, his voice dripping with barely controlled anger.

“Mr.Garvey, i stood up to a corrupt president and yes I investigated him, I impeached him … when he incited a violent attack on the Capitol, I was there that day, Mr. Garvey. I was there on January 6 as those insurrectionists were breaking down the doors and windows.

“You still want to support the guy who supported that violent attack,” Schiff said. “That tells me that you would never take your oath of office seriously as iI do. ”

Garvey, though, wouldn’t relent.

“When you step up and you talk like you talk right now it tells those hard-working people in California you don’t care about them. You care about something else,” he said.

Battle over impeachment

Garvey brought up the Republican-led House’s vote to censure Schiff and the GOP’s decision to remove him from the House Intelligence Committee, a move seen as a bitterly partisan effort to embarrass the congressman.

Schiff was censured last year in a party line vote. Republicans said he deceived the public about ties between Trump’s campaign and Russia. Schiff called the charges “false and defamatory.”

“If you’re elected to the U.S.Senate it’ll be the most toxic Senate in history,” Garvey said.

A common theme throughout the debate involved whether Schiff was an effective Washington player or someone who’s been there too long.

Schiff has been a member of Congress since 2001. That means, Garvey said, he is responsible for controversial policies on immigration, the economy and more.

Clash over immigration

Their debate grew more heated as they discussed immigration. Schiff urged a comprehensive plan that combats illegal immigration and helps those trying to come to this country legally.

He urged compassion for farm workers and children of undocumented immigrants, while supporting better technology and more personnel to secure the border.

Garvey countered “Over the last four years, this man has voted for open border.” The border crisis, Garvey said, is “an existential crisis that’s been created by Joe Biden and with this man right here.” Garvey listed several ideas, including building the U.S.-Mexico wall, building facilities at the border to detain undocumented immigrants and bolstering the border patrol.

“I’ve never voted for open borders,” Schiff fired back.

Schiff noted that Garvey “voted for Donald Trump three times and you’re gonna vote for him again. ... You’re voting for mass deportation when you say you’re voting for Donald Trump.”

Both candidates tried to show they were the true heir to Feinstein.

“Mr. Schiff, you’re no Dianne Feinstein,” Garvey said. He said “career officials like you” have pushed policies that have hurt the state.

Solutions, he said, need consensus.

“I’ll stick out my hand and say I want to work with you,” he said, if elected.

Schiff agreed he’d never be a Dianne Feinstein, but like her, “Like Dianne Feinstein, I’ve worked hard across the aisle.”

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