Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff is making crystal clear who he would rather run against in November, releasing a new TV ad Thursday that contrasts himself with Republican former Major League ballplayer Steve Garvey.

Schiff’s ad describes Garvey as too conservative for California — “he voted for Trump, twice, and supported Republicans for years, including far right conservatives.”

It’s hardly a new approach — with candidates from both parties employing the bank-shot strategy to boost an opponent for the primary whom they view as less of a threat to them in a runoff or general election.

Garvey, a first-time contender with little chance of winning an election in deep blue California, has barely raised enough money to run an operation and lacks the resources to air TV ads of his own. The assist from Schiff — which sends a strong signal to Republican voters in the state that Garvey should be their choice — comes just as the GOP candidate and Democrat Katie Porter are battling for a second-place finish on March 5 to advance to the fall runoff.

Porter blasted Schiff out of the gate, calling the tactic “cynical” and saying the Congress member acted out of fear he would fall to Porter in a November matchup.

“Adam Schiff knows he will lose to me in November. That's what........

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