If President Trump is elected in November, California voters have a clear message for the Golden State’s next senator: Protect us.

If Kamala Harris is elected, however, Californians want to see their next senator focus on legislation that helps the state as much as possible.

Those divergent findings come from a new poll released Friday by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, sizing up how voters feel about the two Senate candidates: Democratic Rep. Adam B. Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey.

The poll, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, shows how the largest state in the nation may act as a political counterweight if Trump is elected in November — or as an ally to Harris, if she becomes the first California Democrat to win the White House.

With less than a month to go in the race to replace the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the poll shows that Schiff has maintained his wide advantage over Garvey. About 53% of likely voters say they prefer Schiff, a number that hasn’t budged all year, while about 36% prefer Garvey and 11% remain undecided.

The poll of 3,045 Californians was conducted Sept. 25 to Oct. 1, before this week’s testy debate between the Senate candidates in Burbank.

Schiff’s high-profile positions as chair of the House Intelligence Committee and lead manager of Trump’s first impeachment trial vaulted him to national prominence.

At the Tuesday debate, Garvey tried to portray Schiff as someone too caught up in a vendetta against Trump to focus on issues important to California voters, asking him: “How can you think about one man every day and focus on that when you’ve got millions of people in California to take care of?”

But if Schiff is elected to the Senate and Trump is elected to the White House, California’s likely voters want to see the Burbank congressman continue that role, said Mark DiCamillo, the director of the Berkeley IGS poll.

“Schiff has portrayed himself as the anti-Trump, and these data conform to that,” DiCamillo said.

Nearly 6 in 10 likely California voters would want to see the state’s next senator prioritize “protecting California’s interests and opposing federal legislation that would undercut existing state laws and policies” if Trump is elected, the poll found.

More than 4 in 5 Schiff supporters, and more than half of undecided voters, say that protecting California’s interests should be a top priority.

But California’s likely voters also want to see their next senator reaching across the aisle to work with the other party, with 50% saying he should focus on passing bipartisan legislation. And 49% said that if Trump is elected, the state’s next senator should prioritize “standing up to the president and challenging his executive orders.”

The priorities of the California electorate shift dramatically when considering a Harris administration.

A 56% majority said they would want California’s next senator to prioritize policies and laws that bring as many benefits as possible to the state.

Meanwhile, 48% would want to see Schiff or Garvey collaborate with the Harris administration on her legislative agenda, while 31% said he should prioritize defending Harris from partisan attacks in the Senate.

The poll found that Garvey, who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres for nearly two decades, leads Schiff in the Inland Empire and the Central Valley.

The two men are in a dead heat in purple Orange County, with 46% of voters supporting each candidate.

Garvey, DiCamillo said, “is doing fairly well for a Republican statewide.” But he faces the same “structural problem as any Republican running statewide.” Among California’s registered voters, Democrats outnumber Republicans by almost 2 to 1.

Schiff has maintained a wide lead in California’s two most populous areas, which represent nearly half of the electorate. In Los Angeles County, 59% of likely voters planned to back Schiff, and in the San Francisco Bay Area, nearly 7 in 10 said they would.

Garvey said at Tuesday’s debate that he has voted for Trump three times, including in the 2024 presidential primary. But he hasn’t sought Trump’s endorsement, which Trump said last month was “a big mistake.”

“If he doesn’t have MAGA he’s got no chance,” Trump said, referring to the acronym that stands for his motto, “Make America Great Again,” and his political base.

The data suggest that Garvey does, in fact, have support from Trump’s loyal fans. Among respondents who characterized their political views as MAGA, 92% said they planned to support Garvey.

By contrast, Schiff’s support was highest among people who identified as progressive (89%) and pro-choice (79%).

The two men had relatively similar disapproval ratings. Among likely voters, 43% said they had a favorable view of Schiff, compared with 34% unfavorable. For Garvey, about 35% of voters had a favorable view, 35% said they had a negative view, and 30% had no opinion.

Mayor Eric Adams’s political future is in doubt after federal prosecutors indicted him on corruption charges in one of several inquiries ensnaring City Hall. Amid calls to resign, Mr. Adams has insisted he is innocent and that he is staying in office as New York City’s mayor.

Five main ways Adams could leave office

Mr. Adams, a Democrat, could decide not to run for re-election, but finish his term, which ends in December 2025. If he runs, he could lose to another candidate in the Democratic primary next June.

Three other ways Mr. Adams could leave office include:

The mayor could resign on his own. He could face pressure from key power brokers, or decide that it is in the city’s best interest for him to step aside.

Or, Gov. Kathy Hochul could remove Mr. Adams under the city charter. The complicated process is untested. So far, she has urged Mr. Adams to prove he can lead the city and to remove city officials under federal investigation, several of whom have departed.

Or, a five-member group, known as a committee on mayoral inability, could be formed to remove him under the city charter. An untried and complex process, it is one even critics of the mayor say is unlikely to happen because his appointees would be involved.

The members would be:

• the city comptroller, Brad Lander
• the City Council speaker, Adrienne Adams
• the longest serving borough president, Donovan Richards
• the city’s corporation counsel, who is expected to be Muriel Goode-Trufant
• and a deputy mayor selected by the mayor.

Four of the five members would need to decide Adams was incapable of serving.

In these three scenarios, Jumaane Williams, the current public advocate, would become acting mayor.

The process of choosing a new mayor

If Mr. Adams leaves office before his term ends, what happens next depends on the date he steps down.

A special election would be held to serve out the remainder of Mr. Adams’s term. It would be non-partisan with ranked-choice voting, a system where voters select multiple candidates in order of preference. Voters would have less time to get to know the candidates, and name recognition could be key. A regular election would have separate Democratic and Republican primaries, which also use ranked choice voting, and the winners of those would face off in a general election.

People who hope to succeed Adams

Four Democrats are already running against Mr. Adams in next year’s election for mayor, and more candidates are likely to enter the race if Mr. Adams is further weakened, or if a special election takes place.

Declared candidates

Brad Lander Dem.

Advertisement

City comptroller

Mr. Lander is a progressive leader who has argued that he is the best manager to run the city. He supports congestion pricing and has pledged to end street homelessness for severely mentally ill people.

Zellnor Myrie Dem.

State senator

Mr. Myrie is a progressive state lawmaker from Brooklyn who has proposed free universal after-school programs. He has supported bail reform and gun control measures.

Jessica Ramos Dem.

Advertisement

State senator

Ms. Ramos is a progressive state lawmaker from Queens who has focused on trying to make the city more affordable and has close ties to unions. She opposed a casino proposal in her district in Queens.

Considering running

Michael Blake Dem.

Former state assemblyman

Mr. Blake, a former White House aide under President Barack Obama, served in the state assembly representing the Bronx and lost a congressional race in 2020.

Joseph Borelli Rep.

Advertisement

Minority City Council leader

Mr. Borelli is a council member from Staten Island and a supporter of former President Donald J. Trump. He has pushed for property tax reform and has been critical of the city’s response to the migrant crisis.

John Catsimatidis Rep.

Businessman

Mr. Catsimatidis is the billionaire owner of the Gristedes grocery store chain and the conservative WABC radio station. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2013.

Alicia Glen Dem.

Former deputy mayor

Advertisement

Ms. Glen was a deputy mayor under Mayor Bill de Blasio and oversaw major projects such as the citywide ferry system. She is a chair of the Gateway Development Commission, which is building a new train tunnel between New York and New Jersey.

Zohran Mamdani Dem.

State assemblyman

Mr. Mamdani is a state lawmaker from Queens and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. He wants to halt rent increases and highlight the voices of Muslim New Yorkers like himself.

Christine Quinn Dem.

Former City Council speaker

Ms. Quinn was the powerful Council speaker from 2006 to 2013, and finished third in the Democratic mayoral primary. She is now the leader of the city’s largest provider of shelters for homeless families with children.

Jumaane Williams Dem.

Advertisement

Public advocate

Mr. Williams is a progressive leader from Brooklyn who has criticized the mayor’s aggressive policing strategy. He has close ties with left-leaning groups including the Working Families Party, and has run unsuccessfully for governor and lieutenant governor.

The campaign for former President Trump has asked the White House for enhanced Secret Service security amid safety concerns in the final stages of the election, citing threats from Iran, Fox News has learned.

On Friday, President Biden was asked about the request by the GOP nominee for enhanced security protocols. 

“As long as you don’t ask for F-15s. Well, look, I’ve told them to give him every, every single thing he needs as if he were a sitting president,” Biden said. “If it’s within that category. That’s fine.”

The Trump campaign cited serious threats from Iran for extra protection. It asked for temporary airspace restrictions on the campaign trail, motorcade drivers with tactical experience and vehicles like the “Beast”, the bullet-proof vehicle used by for Biden. 

TRUMP BRIEFED ON ‘REAL AND SPECIFIC THREATS’ FROM IRAN TO ASSASSINATE HIM, CAMPAIGN SAYS

U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., wrote a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Acting U.S. Secret Service Director Rowe warning that Iran was actively trying to kill Trump. 

Waltz asked that various aircraft, including military aircraft with defense capabilities, be provided for Trump in case of a missile attack, as well as a C-17 or C-40. 

The requests came following two failed assassination attempts on Trump within weeks of each other. 

IRAN’S LEADER TO ADDRESS UN AMID THREATS OF ASSASSINATIONS AGAINST US POLITICIANS, ELECTION INTERFERENCE

Former President Trump is surrounded by Secret Service agents after getting shot while on stage during a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pa., July 13.  (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

Last month, Trump talked of a potential Iranian assassination threat against him. 

Tehran’s potential assassination plot was detailed in FBI documents that Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, showing other potential targets included Biden and former presidential candidate Nikki Haley, along with other “politicians, military people or bureaucrats.”

At one point, Trump was briefed about “real and specific threats” from Iran to assassinate him, the campaign said last month. 

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, Colo., Friday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Iran’s aim to assassinate Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, is part of the Islamic Republic’s efforts to “destabilize and sow chaos in the United States,” Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said in a press release at the time. 

Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.