The Republican Liberty Caucus of San Diego (RLCSD) was founded in 2012 to advance individual rights, limited government and free enterprise within the San Diego area, the state of California and the Republican Party. It is an officially chartered chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus, founded in 1991 as a 527 political organization.
This new organization grew in numbers during the Spring and Summer of 2014. Its local Board of Directors boasts prominent business leaders, a West Point and an Annapolis graduate, attorneys, and entrepreneurs. Its membership includes county co-chairs for a Republican Presidential campaign, nominated RNC delegates, and county co-chairs for a California gubernatorial campaign.
The RLCSD decided to target one race in the County for the 2014 election cycle. While it emphatically supported State Senator Joel Anderson, and many members supported (and volunteered for) Chris Cate for San Diego City Council, RLCSD wanted to pick a race where it where it could have a meaningful impact with that endorsement — Steve Vaus’ campaign was a perfect fit. RLCSD Chairman Elliot Schroeder said, “We saw a kindred spirit in Steve Vaus. Many candidates might have viewed our contributions as limited because of our size but Steve didn’t. He shares our principles and found unique ways to use our support to run a winning campaign.”
RLCSD members donated money, walked neighborhoods for Vaus, and monitored social media. “By election day, RLCSD members individually donated over 5% of the money Steve raised and visited over 5% of the 8,000 Powegians his campaign contacted,” said Schroeder.
First attracted to Vaus by his work on Poway Secret Service, his endorsement interview highlighted his trust in the people before government, the free market over a regulatory state, and the primacy of individual rights. These beliefs won him the RLCSD endorsement. Vaus defeated the incumbent Mayor by over ten percentage points in the November election but acknowledged the work RLCSD did. Mayor-Elect Vaus praised the group at a recent Republican Party of San Diego County meeting.
The RLCSD doesn’t plan to disappear after its endorsement. “Elected officials are constantly put in difficult positions,” said Monica Fay, RLCSD board member. “Mayor-Elect Vaus can call upon us when he needs community support for difficult votes. More importantly, we want to keep our eye on his voting record. We’re sophisticated enough to know that executives sometimes have to compromise but want to keep encouraging him to govern the way he campaigned.”
When asked if the RLCSD anticipated that, Schroeder shrugged. “He has to serve the voters of Poway, not us. Steve’s pretty strong on principles, though.” Fay offered a proactive tone. “You can’t endorse and abandon. Activists get involved because we care. If elected officials think we stop caring, we lose input. We’re the Republican Liberty Caucus for goodness sakes — it’s not like we want anything from government.” Schroeder agreed, “Mayor-Elect Vaus is going to be a champion for Liberty on the local level.”
The RLCSD is 1-0 on its endorsements and Mayor-Elect Vaus gave the organization a nice feather to stick in its new cap. All parties are optimistic about what his election means to the cause.