A headache for California Republicans

Presented by CCIA: Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State

Jul 06, 2023 View in browser   By Lara Korte, Jeremy B. White and Sejal Govindarao Presented by CCIA THE BUZZ: California Republicans are running into a problem — other Republicans. For the first time in a long time, the Republican primary has a chance of actually mattering in California. The state’s 169 delegates are the most of any in the nation, but in the past the primary has been so late in the year that the GOP nominee has been all but decided by the time Republican voters in California cast their ballots. But this year, with a Super Tuesday primary date in March, California Republicans wield an unusual amount of power — and that’s dredging up an unusual amount of conflict. The heightened stakes, combined with post-2020 conspiracy theories about election rigging and transparency, is already creating rifts in the party. Simmering discontent bubbled to the surface over the holiday weekend after far-right internet personality Laura Loomer tweeted out some fiery allegations — claiming party leaders were quietly changing the winner-take-all delegate system in a conspiracy against Donald Trump. Loomer, who has worked for far-right media like Project Veritas and InfoWars, might be remembered for the time she hopped the fence of Nancy Pelosi’s Napa Valley home, or chained herself to Twitter HQ after she was banned (she has since been reinstated). She also ran two unsuccessful bids for Congress in Florida, is notably anti-Muslim, and can be found frequently trolling Ron DeSantis. To put it more bluntly: She’s a “conspiracy nutjob” and “crackpot,” former CA GOP chair Ron Nehring told us. The allegations of nefarious back-room deal making over a relatively minor party procedure were quickly batted down by party chair Jessica Millan-Patterson and RNC Committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon, who said the CA GOP is merely trying to come into compliance with RNC rules. The dispute is about as inside baseball as you can get, but it does speak to a wider challenge the party faces as it heads into one of the most consequential elections in modern history. “Some people are suspicious, and I don’t think this was messaged well by the party,” Dhillon told us, referencing the change to the delegate system, which she said led to “rampant conspiracy theories and misunderstanding.” California Republicans’ need to unite is an existential one. If the party can’t fix its rules to comply with the RNC by October, it risks losing half of its delegates and, by extension, its best shot at relevance in over a decade. Changes to the delegate system were set to be decided by the 100 members of the party’s executive committee by the end of this month. But Dhillon is now advocating they settle the matter at the fall convention — where 1,500 delegates can weigh in. Bryan Watkins, the state party’s chief operating officer and executive director, said he’s not worried about procedure as much as he is about timing. The fall convention runs right up against the RNC’s deadline, giving members an 11-hour window to pass a critical bylaw. Watkins said he’s not interested in leaving that up to chance: “I’m a planner,” he said. BUENOS DÍAS, good Thursday morning. Rep. Ami Bera is in Sactown today with Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman to highlight President Joe Biden’s investments in infrastructure and manufacturing — with stops at Impact Foundry, Tecma Manufacturing, and La Mini Birriera. Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up: jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte.  WHERE’S GAVIN? On vacation — and, apparently, on Threads.  QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Thanks to our partners in the Legislature, we’re about to embark on a clean construction boom that maximizes the unprecedented funding available from the Biden-Harris Administration.” Gov. Gavin Newsom following the Senate’s final vote on his infrastructure package.    A message from CCIA: A link tax is the last thing California needs. Oppose AB886.   TOP TALKERS THURMOND THINKS ON IT — Looks like Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis may have another statewide official joining her in the race for governor in 2026. Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced late Wednesday evening that he is "seriously exploring a run for Governor in 2026" after he opened a gubernatorial committee earlier in the day. Thurmond, who has dealt with a fair share of challenges as California’s schools chief, was elected to a second term last fall, and ended 2022 with roughly $129,000 in his superintendent campaign account. If Thurmond does indeed run, he’ll have to catch up to the LG, who just reported raking in $2.3 million in the first two months of her campaign. We’re also keeping an eye out for news from former State Controller Betty Yee, who told the San Francisco Chronicle in April that she’s still planning to run.    PLAYBOOK MEET & GREET! Join POLITICO in welcoming our new Playbook Author, Dustin Gardiner, at Cafeteria 15L on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. We're convening our most influential readers in Sacramento and beyond as we expand our footprint across the Golden State. Swing by and have a cocktail on us—you never know who you might run into! Register here.     UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES? — "Some Dems worry Newsom’s 28th Amendment plan could open a constitutional Pandora’s box," by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Shira Stein and Sophia Bollag: “Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to enact national gun control measures through an unprecedented constitutional convention has rankled some members of his own party who worry it could open a Pandora’s box of prospective changes to the U.S. Constitution.” CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR CASTE CONCERNS — Sen. Aisha Wahab’s bill that would outlaw caste discrimination cleared another legislative hurdle in the Assembly’s judiciary committee yesterday, sending the closely-watched legislation to the Assembly appropriations committee. Emotions ran high at yesterday’s heavily-attended hearing, where opponents argued that the bill could single-out South Asian Californians. Rather than make caste a protected class like gender, race or religion, the bill was amended in committee to make caste a form of ancestry — which is already protected under anti-discrimination laws. Wahab was not thrilled to take the amendments. “The word caste is incredibly important to utilize here, primarily because this is the system of discrimination we want to fight against,” Wahab said at the hearing. “It is just as important as using the word gender or race or age or anything like that.” Assemblymember Ash Kalra, who is Hindu and the only South Asian serving on the committee, said the bill felt personal to him given the amount of division it elicited within the South Asian community. He voted in support of the amended bill and said he hopes both opponents and advocates can commit to “healing” their tensions as the legislation moves forward. — Sejal Govindarao and Eric He.    A message from CCIA:   LABOR PAINS — "Twitter accused of ducking legal fight over Musk’s mass layoffs," by Bloomberg’s Joel Rosenblatt: “Twitter is refusing to engage in arbitration with ex-employees who were fired when Elon Musk took over the company after pushing them to use that process to resolve claims that they weren’t paid, didn’t receive promised severance or were discriminated against, according to a lawsuit.” KNOCK ON WOOD — "The U.S. wildfire season has been eerily quiet. That could soon change." by the Washington Post’s Diana Leonard: “After a very slow start, fire season may be heating up in the United States. Meteorologists are warning of a potential jump in fire activity as heat waves combine with increased ignitions during the July Fourth holiday.” — "Gavin Newsom is updating the state’s opioid plan to encompass the rising threat of tranq," by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Sophia Bollag: “California is already being forced to update its strategy to tackle opioids in response to the emerging threat of the street drug tranq — just months after Gov. Gavin Newsom released a comprehensive plan to combat the overdose crisis.”   SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY.     MIXTAPE BRIGHT SPOT — "Class of 2022 back on track and moving beyond the Covid pandemic," by EdSource’s Diana Lambert  — "Lake Forest veteran killed while fighting for Ukraine, family says," by the Orange County Register’s Jeff Collins  — "Journalist facing quarter-million judgment to Getty heiress ordered to forfeit all earnings," by the Courthouse News Services’ Hillel Aron — "Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Is Trying to Get Homeless People Off the Street Fast," by the Wall Street Journal’s Christine Mai-Duc  — "Affirmative action ruling could be a blow to diversity in tech," by the Washington Post’s Trisha Thadani   A message from CCIA: Lawmakers are proposing a bill that would charge websites every time they link to a news article. A new tax is the last thing CA needs. Oppose AB886.   CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here. Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com   Follow us on Twitter Jeremy B. White @JeremyBWhite Lara Korte @lara_korte POLITICO California @politicoca   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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