THE BUZZ: KOW TOW IN COWTOWN — There was something in the air at Harris Ranch — and it wasn’t just the smell of cow manure. Despite some early accounts of a negative reception from Republicans, vice presidential candidate JD Vance appears to have easily captured the affections of California’s wealthy Central Valley donors. The Ohio senator made the time-honored pilgrimage to the iconic Harris Ranch hotel/restaurant resort along Interstate 5 on Wednesday, where farmers, ranchers and local Republican officials were eager to talk to the VP pick about threats to water and the agriculture industry. It was a far different crowd than the one that packed into a Palo Alto ballroom on Monday to hear Vance talk about cryptocurrency and criticize the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, but the halls were buzzing with the same excitement about the young VP pick whose famed journey out of rural poverty has made him a sympathetic figure to those in the region. "He understands our needs," Bakersfield Republican Rep. Vince Fong told Playbook while waiting for the luncheon to start. "A lot of the debates are unfortunately dominated by urban centers, and so now, having someone who understands the working-class challenges and having that perspective in major policy discussions is critically important." Stan Ellis, a Bakersfield Republican who owns a quantum physics lab, was one of about 15 donors who got to sit down with Vance for a roundtable discussion, where they spoke about the valley's water issues, competition with China, and other problems facing the agriculture industry. During an address to a larger crowd that was closed to the press, Vance told attendees he intends to deliver "the truth" about Harris' campaign, according to multiple people in the audience, who said he highlighted the differences between the Trump and Biden administrations’ influence on things like the cost the of living and border security. "I like him because he's straightforward," Ellis said. "He delivered his message well, and he's young." Former President Donald Trump is certain to lose in California, but several of the state’s House races this cycle could determine control of Congress, including two Central Valley seats held by vulnerable Republicans. One of those incumbents, Rep. John Duarte, was on hand Wednesday to hear Vance’s speech. Both his district and the one held by GOP Rep. David Valadao voted for President Joe Biden by more than 10 points in 2020. But since then, Duarte argued, voters have grown disillusioned by Democrats and are hungering for the kind of message Vance is carrying. “We're seeing a lot of support for candidates that will talk about affordability, opportunity, the American dream, American energy … I think we're gonna have a good reception here,” he said at the fundraiser. Democrats meanwhile have been seizing every opportunity to tie Republican House members to the more abrasive rhetoric coming out of the Trump-Vance campaign. Vance has largely refrained from personal attacks against Harris on the trail, but Trump on Wednesday caught serious heat for suggesting the vice president only recently became Black — an accusation he made to an auditorium of Black journalists. At Harris Ranch on Wednesday, just outside of the fundraising event, the roadside restaurant still experienced its normal traffic of I-5 travelers who filtered in and out for bathroom breaks and a bite to eat. Jann Driver Martelli, a retired pharma rep from Palm Desert and a lifelong Democrat, was traveling back from Tacoma with her husband when they stopped to charge their electric vehicle and eat lunch. Martelli told Playbook that she takes particular umbrage at Vance's rhetoric around women and family, including his recently resurfaced and instantly viral 2021 comment about “childless cat ladies” running the Democratic party. She said the decision to have kids shouldn't be a political talking point. "Really, why do you care?" she said of Republicans. — with help from Debra Khan. GOOD MORNING. Happy Thursday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. You can text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte. WHERE’S GAVIN? Out of state for personal travel. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis is in charge until he returns this weekend.
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