Rep. Adam Schiff of California is a campaign veteran, running this year for an 11th term in Congress, but the 2020 election cycle is his first facing his constituents since his high-profile role in President Trump’s impeachment.
Schiff, 60, is the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. And from that perch, he was part of the Democratic leadership team that responded to former special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation and then instigated Trump’s impeachment inquiry.
Schiff’s twin responsibilities transformed him into a cable news fixture and a household name. They also attracted his share of presidential rebukes, including Trump making fun of his “pencil neck.”
Schiff’s casting in the Mueller and impeachment drama will more likely earn him applause from a plurality in his Los Angeles County district, a Democratic stronghold. Yet it’s getting play with Republican challenger Eric Early, who is hoping some voters won’t be as complimentary on Nov. 3 at the ballot box.
Early, a lawyer and Transformers franchise post-production supervisor, previously ran for California state attorney general. Now, he’s contesting Schiff’s district with Trump-esque messaging, demeaning Mueller’s investigation as a “hoax” and a “witch hunt.”
Undeterred, Schiff has promised to press on with post-Watergate-like anti-corruption legislative actions if reelected and Trump is awarded a second term. And if his fundraising is any indication, he has overwhelming support for that platform, bringing in $28 million by June 30.
Schiff was a Stanford University and Harvard Law School-trained federal prosecutor before he was elected to California’s state Senate in 1996 and then to Congress in 2000. He’s represented the state’s 28th Congressional District in the House since 2013.
