Republicans’ challenges after failed recall

Now that the gubernatorial recall is over and Gavin Newsom survived the attempt by overwhelming numbers, the recriminations and soul-searching among recall backers have begun. The effort to oust the governor always was a longshot, but the magnitude of the failure has left Republicans unsure about a constructive way forward.

As news analyses have spotlighted, Tuesday’s defeat only exacerbated the recurring divisions between the California GOP’s moderate establishment wing and its conservative base. Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer is an establishment favorite, but came in a distant third with a piddling 8.5 percent of the replacement vote.

Political newcomer Larry Elder topped the replacement candidates with 47 percent, but he failed to expand his appeal. We believed he had the potential to bring compelling reform issues to a broader audience. Instead, he spoke mainly to his conservative talk-show listeners — and ended the campaign echoing baseless claims about voter fraud.

Both wings are on a sustained losing streak. As we saw, an unabashedly conservative message hits a ceiling of about 34 percent of California voters — roughly the percentage that supported Donald Trump in November. In solidly red states, a base-focused campaign can win — but not in a state where conservatives are an evaporating minority.

The moderates can say “we told you so,” but their candidates barely topped 40 percent of the vote in gubernatorial races since Arnold Schwarzenegger left Sacramento. Republicans haven’t won any statewide constitutional office in 15 years. That speaks volumes about the GOP brand.

In fact, Decline to State registrations are only slightly behind Republican registrations. The party’s main factions need a reality check. They must develop a new bundle of libertyoriented reform issues that have a hope of appealing to today’s electorate. This will take compromise, time and the rebuilding of a GOP farm team.

Republicans are on the right side of many debates. California continually fails to provide satisfactory public services even as it budget sets spending records. This Editorial Board repeatedly recounts the state’s failures in reforming education, reining in pension liabilities, upgrading crumbling infrastructure, dealing with homelessness, and handling the housing, water and wildfire crises.

Nevertheless, Republicans often are AWOL on major issues, as they stick to arcane themes that helped them win elections decades ago. As the GOP has clung to “law and order” rhetoric, it failed to be a constructive participant as Democrats passed noteworthy police-accountability laws. Republicans bemoan the regulatory climate, yet largely opposed two new laws (Senate Bills 9 and 10) that pare back local and state housing regulations.

Some GOP lawmakers’ rhetoric on divisive cultural issues hardened during the Trump era, which makes it tougher to compete in socially liberal California. For instance, the recall petition’s focus on blaming Newsom for supposedly putting the interests of illegal immigrants above Californians’ interests was way off the mark — and helped Democrats depict the entire campaign as the work of the far right.

In short, the party needs to coalesce around a consistent and, yes, more libertarian approach to public policy that champions an optimistic, forward-looking reform agenda. Instead of fighting among themselves, California Republicans need to work together to accomplish what the recall failed to do: appeal to a more diverse cross section of the state’s voters. It’s time to get started.