As the race for California's U.S. Senate seat heats up, new survey data reveals that Democratic U.S. Representative Adam Schiff is in a strong position to advance to the November election. However, with a competitive field that includes one Republican and two fellow Democrats, the path forward is anything but guaranteed.

According to a SurveyUSA poll conducted on behalf of The Center for Election Science, Schiff currently garners 22% of the vote. Following him is Republican and former MLB player Steve Garvey at 15%, and Democratic Representatives Barbara Lee and Katie Porter, both capturing 12%. Republican Eric Early trails with 6%, while Republican James Bradley and Democrat Christina Pascucci each have 5%. Republican Jonathan Reiss and Democrat Lexi Reese round out the field at 1% each. Notably, 20% of voters remain undecided, leaving room for shifts in the race dynamics.

Approval Voting Reveals Broad Support for Multiple Candidates

When voters are given the option to choose as many candidates as they wish—a method known as approval voting—Schiff emerges as the clear favorite, with 37% of voters selecting him. His support is particularly robust among strong Democrats (78%), extremely liberal voters (66%), and very liberal voters (65%).

Katie Porter follows with 29% approval, drawing significant backing from independents who lean Democratic (59%) and those who get their news from social media (54%).

Barbara Lee closely trails Porter with 28% approval. Her support is concentrated among strong Democrats (54%), extremely liberal voters (53%), and Bay Area residents (47%).

Steve Garvey, the leading Republican, secures 25% approval, reflecting solid backing from strong Republicans (63%) and those identifying as conservative or extremely conservative.

While Schiff leads in approval voting, the combined strength of his challengers, particularly among key demographics, suggests that this race is far from decided. With 20% of voters still undecided, the coming months will be critical for all candidates as they vie for the top two spots in November’s election.

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