Times Standard (Eureka)

Infighting threatens California recall

- By Michael R. Blood

LOS ANGELES » California Republican­s eager to recall Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom could see their chances eroded by longstandi­ng friction between the party’s conservati­ve and moderate wings, which only has intensifie­d in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s presidency.

The rift has been on open display in the gubernator­ial candidacy of former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, a Republican centrist who has been endorsed by legislativ­e leaders while being attacked as “liberal” by conservati­ves in his home county.

The head of the state Republican Party, Jessica Millan Patterson, is being challenged at a GOP convention this weekend by longtime conservati­ve activist Steve Frank, who says the state party is attempting to silence conservati­ve voices.

The vote on party leadership will come as Republican­s nationally debate the way forward following Trump’s defeat in November and his role in provoking a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

“This is California’s version of the national battle for the soul and the future of the Republican Party,” said Thad Kousser, a political science professor at the UC, San Diego.

While Trump lost California by more than 5 million votes last November, the state GOP has been emboldened by the prospect of a recall election aimed at Newsom, after picking off four congressio­nal seats from Democrats. But “just when the Republican Party in California is showing signs of life, it’s deciding to cannibaliz­e itself,” Kousser added.

Speaking online to delegates Friday, longtime Republican strategist Karl Rove urged party members to find a way through their difference­s.

“We got to figure out a way for us to come together behind the candidates that we nominate,” Rove said. “Right now, there is a lot of tension in our party. I get that. But we’ve got to do everything we individual­ly can to look past that and look toward victory.”

A proposed rule change that would have allowed the party’s executive committee of about 100 people to endorse a recall candidate, or hand the decision to an even smaller group, rather than the full delegation of about 1,400 members was withdrawn after being criticized as a power grab.

Patterson, who asked the sponsor to withdraw the rule change, said in a letter to delegates that while the proposal was well-intentione­d it was “dividing us at a time when nothing is more important than being unified.”

With a potential recall election approachin­g, the

GOP needs a “strong, unified Republican vision,” she wrote.

But Frank, her rival to lead the party, said the now-withdrawn proposal showed Patterson “was literally trying to shove down our throats her choice for governor, and that’s just wrong.”

The convention is shaping up as a series of skirmishes between the party’s two wings and also could play out in contested elections for lower-tier leadership posts.

A possible dispute about whether to censure U.S. Rep. David Valadao for his vote to impeach Trump. The Central Valley congressma­n was among 10 House Republican­s who voted to send the articles of impeachmen­t to the Senate, which acquitted Trump last week.

Delegate Erik Elness, a chief sponsor of the resolution that would have censured Valadao along with state Democratic House members for their votes, said he submitted the proposal Jan. 18 under party guidelines, but was later told it was improper and never forwarded to a committee for considerat­ion.

He’s asking for that to be reconsider­ed and, if unsuccessf­ul, also might try to bring it up during the convention’s general session on Sunday. “I don’t think it’s received the proper or appropriat­e airing it should have received,” he said.

For long-suffering California Republican­s, party infighting could divide their ranks and make it more challengin­g to oust Newsom. Meanwhile, if no consensus pick emerges as a GOP favorite to replace him, multiple candidates could fracture the party’s base.

Republican businessma­n John Cox, who lost to Newsom in 2018, is also running, and another name being discussed in GOP circles is Trump’s former acting director of national intelligen­ce, Richard Grenell, who has not responded to requests for comment on a possible candidacy.

 ?? JAE C. HONG — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer speaks during a news conference in Tuesday in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles. Faulconer announced he is entering the race for California governor.
JAE C. HONG — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer speaks during a news conference in Tuesday in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles. Faulconer announced he is entering the race for California governor.

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