It’s been rumored for a while — I wrote in June about the pros and cons — and this morning, former Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres first baseman Steve Garvey entered the race for the Senate seat in California that was, until recently, held by Dianne Feinstein. (It’s technically two races for the same seat, as Laphonza Butler’s term ends on election day, so the special-election portion of the race will fill the seat for two months until January 3). Unlike Butler, Garvey actually lives in California (his launch video notes that he came to California over 50 years ago when he was called up by the Dodgers in 1969, although it skims over him having lived in Utah for a number of years between then and now) and is well known in the state. Then again, Butler is not all that likely to be the leading Democrat in the race as it passes from the jungle-primary stage to two final contenders. Garvey announces just after a second Dodgers loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks puts them a game away from ending their own 2023 season.