The 71st Assembly district is currently represented by the termed out Republican, Brian Jones. Two Republicans are battling for his open seat: Congressman Duncan Hunter staffer Mike Harrison and Santee Mayor Randy Voepel. Both will be seeking endorsements from elected officials, Republican Party Committee members, and political activists.
The 76th Assembly District is an open race as well. Current Republican Assemblyman Rocky Chavez is running for the open U.S. Senate seat. Someone will have to take his place in the Assembly when he goes to Washington next year. That District is a sure Republican win. Oceanside Council Member Jerry Kern and businessman Phil Graham are running for that seat. Both will be seeking endorsements from elected officials, Republican Party Committee members, and political activists.
All four are good candidates with nuanced differences. I don’t care which one of them is more like Reagan than the other — all of them would make a fine Assembly member. I care about one thing: who is going to work to make the Republican Party the majority party in the Assembly? Three of those four candidates asked me for support (in my capacity as a Central Committee member) and I don’t want to endorse early UNLESS…
…one candidate has a better plan to regain the Republican majority than the other one does.
To that end, I ask Messrs. Harrison and Voepel this; can you show me a plan for a Republican win in the 79th Assembly District, within four years? Can you show me how you would work with Assembly Member Marie Waldron to recruit and elect a candidate, who can win that seat?
To that end, I ask Messrs. Kern and Graham this; can you show me a plan for a Republican win in the 78th Assembly District, within four years? Can you show me how you would work with Assembly Member Brian Maienschein to recruit and elect a candidate, who can win that seat?
Each one of you is sufficiently conservative enough to earn my support but I’m tried of playing checkers with two red checker sets. California desperately needs a Republican majority in at least one of the chambers of the Legislature. It’s time to start playing chess with the red checkerboards which make up the 71st and 76th Districts. If you can demonstrate that you can build relationships in the targeted Districts, raise money for other candidates, and be a team player, I’m interested in your races to the point that I would lobby Central Committee members to endorse you early, otherwise…
I really don’t care about your races.