In the aftermath of Proposition 14, members of the California Republican Party (CRP) will make a very significant decision this weekend to determine the process and criteria we follow to endorse candidates. It is an important discussion for us to have and we all want to see the Party succeed in future elections, but unfortunately one of the proposals on the table will only weaken the Party.
The current CRP Chairman’s proposal, while it may sound good on its face, actually gives a very small number of Party insiders the power to decide endorsements – something that flies in the face of decades of our Party’s proud history of letting voters decide our Party’s nominee. This proposal threatens to disenfranchise many Republican voters, including our men and women serving overseas who have no way to participate in the Party’s endorsement process under Chairman Nehring’s plan.
But this plan is problematic in other ways. It requires that an endorsement be made in every single race, even when two ormore quality Republican candidates are running against each other. It also does not provide for the endorsement of a Republican candidate after the June election in the event the “officially endorsed” candidate loses that primary. That means that our candidates could be limited or cut-off from vital resources needed to run a winning campaign.
There is an alternative to this proposal that will ensure, under the right circumstances, the Party can make an endorsement. For example, if a Republican may not make it through the June election to the runoff in November without an endorsement or if those on the left try to pull the wool over voters’ eyes by running a “fake” Republican candidate who won’t support our shared values once elected, then the Party can make an endorsement.
This proposal is supported by the majority of our Congressional delegation as well as by nearly all of my Republican colleagues in the State Legislature. Its basic tenant is one I think most of us agree on—that voters are really the best to pick our candidates, not a very small group of Party insiders. That is the path to winning more elections and avoiding nasty and unproductive infighting.
Over the next few days we’ll all be hearing a lot more about this issue. The truth is that the internal debate over theseendorsement rules isn’t about “moderates” vs. “conservatives,” as some may have you believe. This debate is about ensuring that this Party continues our proud tradition of valuing the voice of voters and giving our candidates the best possible chance to beat our real opponents—Democrats.
There are many dedicated conservatives, including me, who do not support the Nehring plan because it is flawed. Today I ask that those who have a vote this weekend to study this issue and talk to those on all sides before casting a vote. It is critical that we get this one right.