Hopeful Republicans Descend on Sacramento

Delegates, journalists and merchandise hawkers are gathering this weekend in the California capital for the CA GOP convention. Various levels of state Republican party leadership’s candidates are campaigning in the halls of the convention center and host hotel, huddling, backslapping and strategizing as party elections are underway.

Over the past years, especially during Biden’s administration, California’s Republicans appeared nervous and ineffective, especially over the 2022 midterms results. Expected wins on the national level didn’t pan out, and CA state party leadership scrambled to refocus and attempt to explain failures to unite or to move the needle forward effectively. In 2023, the convention mood was similarly unsettled, though the presidential elections were looming.

Fast forward to today, the mood has grown obviously more positive, even jovial, as Trump regained his place in the Oval Office, both Houses in Congress are under Republican control, and the most die-hard conservatives of California celebrate once again.

Kicking off the Convention Friday, meetings include the state’s GOP Board of Directors, various caucuses of the state Tea Party, Young Republicans, Republican Women, Veterans associations, College Republicans and the like. At attendee luncheons, voter training sessions, 2024 elections analysis, and prayer sessions, there is one major and sustained sentiment palpable, and that is the call for party unity amid hopes California will continue its move away from farthest Left politics.

In 2024, Republicans made gains, a stronger a foothold in every county, even the liberal bastion of San Francisco, though the state went for Kamala Harris by a healthy margin. But the Congressional balance of power in Washington was tipped partly by Republicans in key counties in California, and the state legislature retained Republican incumbents. Momentum is growing to support the trend.

It isn’t a secret though that the California GOP has been in disarray, for years. Ineffective party leadership, wasteful spending, lackluster voter drives and a failure to support candidates are just a few of the harsh critiques levied. State party chairwoman Jessica Patterson, named in 2019 amid hopes to revive the party and make it more relevant in politics has been both praised and heavily criticized for drawing an exorbitant salary and lack of significant fundraising for the party overall.

One thing is clear, though. Trump winning the presidency has injected new life into the CAGOP. Every delegate in attendance, every speaker and all candidates for party office call for two things: To ride the coattails of the success of Trump and his cabinet picks’ effectiveness in Washington, and to unify the CA state party. Infighting, disorganization, lack of fundraising are commonly-cited. The convention’s outcome this weekend aims to rectify this. The exuberance is palpable, with a loud Trump truck caravan circling the state capital building and convention center outside, riling up the paltry few anti-Trump protesters stations nearby. There is a today a feeling of winning in the air.