THE BUZZ: BALLOT CHAOS — Retiring Rep. Kevin McCarthy appears to have failed in his attempt to get a chosen successor on the ballot — and the former GOP speaker can largely blame himself. McCarthy’s decision to announce his retirement so close to a key ballot deadline set off a mad scramble among Republicans in the solidly red district — and a series of events that has left one top contender in legal limbo. The California Secretary of State’s office said Friday that state Assemblymember Vince Fong was ineligible to run for the seat because he had already qualified to run for reelection to the Assembly and missed the Dec. 8 deadline to withdraw from the ballot in that race. Candidates cannot appear in two races on the same ballot. Fong, a Bakersfield Republican and McCarthy’s former district director, has vowed to sue the state to stay on the ballot in the District 20 congressional race. If he is unsuccessful, voters in the district will cast ballots without having a well-positioned frontrunner ahead of the March 5 primary. McCarthy had been dropping hints for months that he might leave Congress. Still, the timing created a tight window for potential candidates mulling whether to take the plunge. Fong initially said he would not run for McCarthy’s seat, clearing the way for state Sen. Shannon Grove. But a few days later — after it was too late for Fong to withdraw from the Assembly race — Grove announced she wouldn’t run after all, and Fong tried to jump in. The chaos of the past two weeks has left GOP voters in the district feeling bewildered and with about a dozen largely unknown contenders, said Tal Eslick, a longtime Central Valley political strategist. “Most folks are still trying to get their wits about them,” he said. “Voters are going to need to get informed really quickly on a lot of candidates.” Other hopefuls in the race include far-right conservative David Giglio, who threatened to sue if Fong remained on the ballot; Tulare County Sheriff Michael Boudreaux, who’s unknown to many voters in Fresno and Bakersfield; and Kyle Kirkland, a Fresno casino magnate. Fong has directed his frustration at Democratic Secretary of State Shirley Weber, accusing her office of “unprecedented interference in the candidate filing process.” California GOP Chair Jessica Millan Patterson, also a McCarthy ally, said Democrats in Sacramento are depriving the district of a “complete slate of candidates” for political reasons. Those accusations aside, McCarthy and Grove’s last-minute moves didn’t do the former speaker’s allies any favors. Political consultants in the region have been having difficult discussions about how the succession planning went off the rails, and why key players weren’t communicating like they should have been. Grove stunned Republicans when she bowed out, a decision that she said came after a discussion with her family. But Eslick said most GOP insiders seem to understand the personal nature of the decision, for her as well as for McCarthy. “I don’t criticize anybody for having second thoughts about doing it,” Eslick said. “It’s a tough gig, it’s not a whole lot of fun. It literally involves traveling back and forth across the country." — with help from Melanie Mason GOOD MORNING. Happy Monday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. PLAYBOOK TIP LINE — What is your most memorable/funny/cringy political moment from 2023? Give us a ring or drop us a line. Now you can text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts now. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on Twitter —@DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. DOUBLE THE FUN — We have an exciting update for California Playbook readers: Starting Jan. 2, all Playbook subscribers will also receive Playbook PM every Monday through Thursday. As a member of the Playbook community, you will get a double dose of scoops, storylines and analysis in the new year as the Legislature returns. No need to take action: You will receive your first PM edition on the 2nd if you aren’t subscribed already. Thank you for being a part of the Playbook community.
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