The US Senate race from California is odd right now. Democrat Kamala Harris is leading the polls with Democrat Loretta Sanchez slightly ahead of Republican Tom Del Beccaro and then, Republican Duf Sundheim. Republican Rocky Chavez bowed out of the race on Monday to announce he’s running for his incumbent Assembly seat.
Republicans have a difficult time in statewide races because of the disparate voter registration in California. With two former CRP chairmen running, it is possible that neither of them will make the run-off in November. The CRP won’t endorse in the statewide race and most county committees won’t either (nobody thinks a Republican can win a state wide race in California anymore.)
I think that’s a defeatist attitude. In 2014, former CRP Chairman Ron Nehring ran a great campaign for Lieutenant Governor against Gavin Newsom, winning three million votes and 43% of the vote. Ron is Pro-Life, signed the “no new taxes” pledge, and is against amnesty for foreign nationals in America.
How then, are we to determine who can best articulate Republican principles in the run-off election?
Let’s look at the issues:
The Republican Party is against new taxes so much that over 90% of the Republicans have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. (The CRP calls on all candidates to sign the pledge.) Del Beccaro signed the pledge, Sundheim won’t.
Del Beccaro proposed a detailed flat tax plan which earned him the endorsements of Arthur Laffer and Steve Forbes. Sundheim argues that Ronald Reagan rejected the flat tax plan (Untrue, Reagan compromised with Congress and, in his own words said “I’d rather get 80 percent of what I want than go over the cliff with my flag flying”). Sundheim argued that “a progressive tax plan protects the middle class.”
A Republican Senator Should Hold Republican Values
The California Republican Party is the Pro-Life party; that is not questionable. While many “pro-choice” Republicans have good voting records on Life (look up Brian Bilbray’s), it is generally understood that Republicans are Pro-Life. That plank has served us well, too. Public sentiment has shifted. While more Americans support “choice” than “Life,” a super majority of Americans believe abortion should be restricted to the first trimester. Del Beccaro is Pro-Life. Sundheim is Pro-Choice.
A Republican Senator Should Hold Republican Values
The California Republican Party is against amnesty for foreign nationals, living here illegally. Sundheim supports a path to citizenship for foreign nationals; Tom Del Beccaro does not. This is not insensitive nor is it racist. In fact, Del Beccaro sees immigration as a national security issue and proposes a one-step-at-a-time reform agenda, starting with a proposal to enforce visa overstays.
A Republican Senator Should Hold Republican Values
I am, by no means, a “platform cop.” While the three cited issues are important to me, I can live with the quirky disagreement or two (especially in California)–I know that it’s tough to win and govern as a complete conservative in a blue state. Look at the preponderance of the positions on the issues. On three big Republican values, Del Beccaro is in line with California Republicans and Duf Sandheim is not. Does that make him a horrible candidate to face Kamala Harris? Absolutely not, but it doesn’t make him the best Republican to articulate our values.
At a certain point, in a race thought unwinnable by all of the pundits, Republicans will have to rally behind one candidate in order to secure a top-two spot in the June election. I choose to back the Republican who holds Republican values.
DISCLOSURE: Brian Brady has financially supported the Nehring for Lt Governor campaign (2014) and Del Beccaro for Senate campaign (2016).