Adam Schiff, Key Hollywood Ally, Elected to Senate

Adam Schiff, a key supporter of the entertainment industry in Congress, was elected on Tuesday to the U.S. Senate, according to a projection by the Associated Press.

The A.P. called the race as soon as polls closed in California at 8 p.m. PT.

Schiff is better known nationally as a principal antagonist of former President Trump, and one of the leaders of his first impeachment five years ago. Trump has kept up a stream of attacks on “Shifty Schiff” at recent rallies, mocking his appearance and calling him “Pencil Neck.”

But he has also been an ally of Hollywood over 24 years as a member of Congress from the Burbank area. He recently urged support for a federal incentive that would help keep film and TV production from going overseas.

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Schiff walked the picket lines during the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes in 2023. During the pandemic, he pushed to make special unemployment benefits available to freelancers, noting that would help Hollywood’s gig-based workforce. He has also proposed a bill to require transparency for datasets used to train artificial intelligence, a high priority for entertainment unions.

Schiff defeated Steve Garvey, the Republican and former first baseman in the 1970s and ’80s for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

Schiff will assume the seat that was held by Dianne Feinstein, who died in 2023 after serving 30 years in office. He will take over for Sen. Laphonza Butler, who was appointed by the governor to fill the vacancy temporarily.

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With strong backing from former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Schiff was the top Democrat in the March primary, beating out Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee. Given the outcome in deep blue California was all but assured, he has spent much of the last few weeks stumping on behalf of Democratic Senate candidates in other states, and has raised millions of dollars for other campaigns.

As a young prosecutor in the 1990s, Schiff tried his hand at screenwriting before turning to politics. Among the many supporters of his campaign were the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and WGA West.