U.S. Rep. Lou Correa, who represents Anaheim and Santa Ana, is set to announce Thursday that he is endorsing fellow Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff in California's U.S. Senate race, Spectrum News has exclusively learned.
Correa, who has held off on endorsing until just over 6 weeks until the primary election to fill the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat, said the decision is something he “didn’t take lightly.”
“At the end of the day, what kind of got me motivated to make a decision was actually a meeting I had with some small merchants on Fourth Street in Santa Ana — Fourth Street merchants, that, I was there working with them, and continue to work with them on trying to keep them in business while they are essentially being run out of business with construction of a major transportation project,” Correa told Spectrum News. “When I was there speaking to them, they all talked about Adam Schiff, and unbeknownst to me, Adam had actually endorsed legislation that I proposed to support the small business people to keep them in business.”
“When somebody goes out of the way to help my constituents on Main Street, that to me is gold. That is golden. And that's why I decided to endorse Adam Schiff at this time, because he showed to me that he's a guy that takes the time to listen to my constituents.”
If enacted, that bill — the Business Uninterrupted Monetary Program Act of 2023 — would require that certain agencies recieving transit and highway transportation project grants establish and contribute to aid funds ensuring that affected businesses don’t feel negative impacts during construction. Schiff is the only cosponsor.
“Lou and I have worked closely together to serve the people of Southern California, and he is a fierce advocate for helping small businesses grow, making healthcare affordable, reforming our immigration system, and making our economy work for everyone," Schiff said. "I am fortunate to call him not just a colleague but a friend, and I am incredibly grateful to have his support in this race.”
Correa’s district borders fellow House Democrat and U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Katie Porter’s district. Correa called Schiff, Porter, and Rep. Barbara Lee, another House Democrat who is also running for U.S. Senate “fine candidates” with “good track records, stellar careers.”
But one part of Correa’s decision to back Schiff, he said, was the candidate’s acceptance to bring back congressional funding for projects, also known as earmarks, for the state of California.
“Adam Schiff supports earmarks for my constituents. Just this morning, I went to a small event in downtown Anaheim, where they wanted to thank me for a million dollars being brought back to support youth mental health services,” said Correa. “These were all Anaheim residents, grassroots people that know that a million dollars is going to make a big difference in their lives, and in the lives of those young people that they service. Adam Schiff supports those kinds of earmarks."
Porter has said she will not accept earmarks if elected to the Senate, a practice she has followed as a member of the House. Lee, meanwhile, does partake in the widely used practice.
Correa's stance is somewhat notable as his district borders Porter's, but it's also on trend: Schiff has won endorsements from 70% of California's Congressional delegation.
Schiff is currently leading both his Democratic rivals and the leading Republican candidate, former professional baseball player Steve Garvey, in the polls. Correa says polls are “good indicators of a race, but not determinative.”
“Now it's time to make sure that people come out and vote and vote for Adam Schiff. And that's what we're going to do: make sure we get the word out and make sure voters vote for Adam Schiff for U.S. Senate.”