Last night, the Republican Party of San Diego County endorsed Navy veteran Larry A. Wilske for Congress in the 53rd Congressional District race against incumbent Susan Davis. A super majority of 2/3 of the voting members was required for endorsement. The endorsement permits Wilske to go on the Republican voter guide, designed to communicate with registered-Republican voters the county organization’s recommendations.
Wilske was first endorsed by Combat Veterans for Congress and then secured the endorsement from the Latino American Political Association of San Diego. Both non-partisan organizations chose Wilske over Davis for the upcoming election. Securing the Republican endorsement gives Wilske the opportunity to focus his efforts on independent voters and registered Democrats, a move which is essential for victory in this District. The District registration is 43% Democrat, 29% Republican, and 29% decline-to-state.
Wilske outlined his victory strategy to the committee and emphasized that, among likely voters, the margin is a +7 for Davis over the generic Republican candidate, the lowest it’s been since she took office. Wilske attributes Davis’ dogmatic loyalty to the Affordable Care Act and fealty to her party’s caucus as the reason for her decline in advantage. Wilske thinks he is far from a “generic Republican candidate” as well. He describes his constitutional conservative position as one which resonates with all voters because it communicates exactly how he’ll vote as a Representative.
The road to a November election isn’t assured though. Wilske took the unconventional position of calling for the four Republican candidates to back the endorsed candidate in the “jungle primary”, a month ago. He felt that local Republican support was (and is) essential to the eventual success of a campaign to unseat Davis. Wilske pledged to drop out of the race if the Republican committee didn’t endorse him; no other candidates accepted that challenge. At present, all four Republicans plan to compete in the June election, regardless of the committee’s decision to endorse Wilske.
Wilske is focused, though. He plans to visit Washington, D.C later this month to meet with national organizations and the California Congressional caucus for more endorsements. His campaign is full-time with lots of voter contact in neighborhoods and speaking engagements with local community organizations. He expects to advance in the June election and mount a national campaign against the incumbent.