Former baseball MVP Steve Garvey launches GOP bid in California Senate race

Former Dodgers MVP Steve Garvey announced a bid on Tuesday for the California Senate race in the seat previously held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

Why it matters: Garvey is running as a Republican in a state where Democrats have held U.S. Senate seats for the past three decades.

• "I never played for Democrats or Republicans or independents. I played for all of you," he said in an announcement video that featured clips of his baseball career and continued with videos of him currently.

Driving the news: Feinstein, the longest serving female senator in the U.S., died in September at 90 years old.

• Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), the former president of Emily's List, has filled her vacant seat, following an appointment from Gov. Gavin Newsom. It's unclear if she will run for the seat in 2024.
• Three Democrats — California Reps. Barbara Lee, Adam Schiff and Katie Porter — are running in the race, which is expected to be one of the most watched of the upcoming election cycle.

Catch up quick: Garvey, who said he'll run a "commonsense campaign," played as a first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1987.

• "In baseball, it's not about the individual; it's about the team," he said in a statement. "I believe the same holds true for politics. It's time we come together, find common ground, and work towards a brighter future."
• He said he considers California to have once been the heartbeat of America but that now the state is "just a murmur."

Go deeper: Laphonza Butler sworn in as California senator in historic first