Experts Expound: How can California Republicans be competitive again?

It’s an election year, and once again the California is not expected to do very much on the statewide level. With that in mind we posed a new question to our panel of esteemed experts.

Republicans have not won a statewide race in California since 2006.  What is one change the California Republican Party can make to become more competitive in the Golden State?

“Stop talking.  Sometimes it really is just that simple.”

“Distance themselves from Trump. Show that congressionally, they are helping the state. Be environmental, but fiscally conservative. They probably need to stay out of the social policy given where their party is nationally.”

“Get a magic wand held by a sympathetic Fairy God Mother.”

“Cheat better…”

“One change? Just one?! They need myriad changes, but maybe the most fundamental is to learn that, to be successful, a party needs to adapt to the electorate, not expect the voters to adjust for them. The California Republican Party acts like voters are still living back in the ‘50s and ‘60s.”

“Have a soul.”

“Stop pursuing the national GOP agenda and engage on things that Californians care about in a moderate way.”

“The CRP must identify and unite behind one viable candidate BEFORE the primary in each statewide/constitutional office with a concise agenda up and down the state that provides an alternative to Democrats. (I know that is two changes). Set aside Reagan’s 11th commandment and clear the field early. Must avoid what happened in the Nielsen senate seat by allowing multiple Republican candidates to fight it out, and eventually allowing two democrats to emerge from the primary and then win a safe Republican seat.”

“The Republican Party in California needs to start caring much more about what message might actually have a chance to win statewide and would resonate with the younger generation. To do so, it should unapologetically embrace being the party of “real equity.” Real social change only happens when communities create wealth and this happens primarily through the growth of businesses and the appreciation of homes. As the party supportive of businesses big and small as well as economic growth that increases home values, Republicans can credibly market themselves as the real wealth builders and, hence, the real power builders in the state.  Also don’t invite polarizing psychos to speak at their state convention.”

“Support the autonomy of women.”

“The key phrase here is ‘more competitive’ – at this point it would be hard for them to be less competitive. That said, the best thing they could do right now is to transition to an open primary system. As it is now, any Reep who can make it through the closed Primary will inevitably be way too far to the right to compete in the General.”

“This is a no brainer. The GOP has won the governorship in blue states with pro-choice, pro-climate action candidates who balance centrist social policy with fiscal conservatism. It could do the same here.”

“Become a different party, one with no connection to Donald Trump, MAGAism, congressional Republicans, Greg Abbott … the list of ‘R’ deplorables is endless. As long as this GOP is part of that GOP, it ain’t going nowhere.”

“Yes, 2006, but if you look at who the last two Republican electeds were, it was Schwarzenegger, who governed like a progressive Republican who is now a thorn in the Trump version of the Republican Party, and Steve Poizner who is now a No Party Preference voter.  Those two aren’t exactly the same as the current Republican party.  They would probably both get booed at a Republican convention.

The Republican Party is essentially a regional party in California right now.  They can have an impact in a super-minority of districts and they can still have an outsized impact in local government where they don’t have party labels, and several Republicans are elected to city council, school board and even county supervisor in places that never elect a Republican to a partisan office. They could come back over the next couple decades, but they would have to focus on long term building of a party that is where voters are on taxes, crime, homelessness, education, and other “traditional” Republican issues, and avoid the short-term sugar high of being Trumpy, reactionary, playing to that populist base party, anti-LGTBQ, anti-trans, etc…  that stuff is going to just further bury them in this state.

Of course, one big problem with this strategy is that they can’t get away from what Republicans nationally do.  So, even if they moderate here in California, they have a hard time distancing themselves from Republicans in other more conservative parts of the country.”

“The California GOP is a teardown now. A good start would be to enter the post-Trump Era, which is either nine months away or never.  A pro-choice position is the other lane, and that’s probably inconceivable.”

“Put up candidates that are independent thinkers that appeal to California voters and don’t tow the national party line.”

The people from whom we solicited opinions: Elizabeth Ashford, Hector Barajas, A.G. Block, Barry Brokaw, Samantha Corbin, Jon Costantino, Richard Costigan, Tim Foster, Rex Frazier, John Howard, Fiona Hutton, Gale Kaufman, Steven Maviglio, Mike MeCey, Paul Mitchell, Barbara O’Connor, Jack Ohman, Kassy Perry, Matt Rexroad, Garry South, Paula Treat, Micah Weinberg, Bill Wong, Daniel Zingale