San Diego County GOP Ousts Chairwoman Paula Whitsell Over Endorsement Controversy

The San Diego County Republican Party announced on Tuesday that Chairwoman Paula Whitsell was ousted Monday night in favor of brewery owner and former Congressional candidate Corey Gustafson. Whitsell attempted to change the party’s endorsement of Andrew Hayes in the 75th Assembly District race in favor of San Diego Councilman and radio host Carl DeMaio.

The situation dates back to last year when candidates first entered the race. As Assemblywoman Marie Waldron (R-Valley Center) was term-limited from running again, the district became an open seat. While expected to easily go to a Republican, few got in early, as no one had expected any big names to enter the race from either side. Andrew Hayes, the President of the Lakeside Union School Board and district director for Senator Brian Jones (R-San Diego), quickly became the favored Republican in the race, and was assumed to the main Republican candidate.

As a result, the Central Committee of the Republican Party of San Diego County voted in their June 2023 meeting to endorse Hayes in both the primary and the general election in 2024. The only way they could switch is if Hayes did not make it to the primary in November 2024. However DeMaio entered the race late months after the endorsement vote. By far the most well-known of the candidates because of his time on the San Diego City Council, DeMaio quickly shot up in the polls. Hayes and Democrat Kevin Juza quickly became entangled in a battle for second place.

“This was, by all accounts, going to be a usual GOP-Democratic race in November,” explained San Diego County pollster Warren Harris to the Globe on Tuesday. “But the GOP nomination, along with some people from the Jones crowd, kept Hayes afloat after DeMaio came in. If it wasn’t for that nomination, we’d have a completely different race most likely because of how close it was at the end.”

Last month, DeMaio won handedly in the primary with 53,905 votes, or 43% of the vote. Hayes, meanwhile received 23,401 votes, or 18.6% to Juza’s 22,857, or 18.2%, barely winning second-place. The result also made it one of the few all-GOP Assembly elections in November.

DeMaio v. Hayes

While some had questioned the early nomination to Hayes over the better known DeMaio, the latter had not pursued the nomination early on, leaving it for Hayes to have. Despite this, some tried to push for a switch in the nomination, including San Diego GOP Chairwoman Whitsell. She said that Hayes’ nomination was only for the Primary, and that for the General it should go to DeMaio.

The attempt to switch irked many in the party, who called a meeting Monday night. As a result of the meeting, Whitsell was ousted as the party leader, with Gustafson taking over. However, while Hayes would still be the endorsed candidate, both sides agreed that the party would not fundraise for either candidate, and leave it an open race in that regard. Not wanting to split the party over the endorsement matter, it was agreed to.

“Andrew Hayes is the Republican Party of San Diego County’s only official endorsed candidate for state Assembly because he will stand for Republican values,” said Gustafson on Tuesday. “Last night, we as a party came together. We had a unanimous vote to have a new chair, but that wasn’t really the point of it. We had two candidates who are running against each other in the 75th come together for the benefit of the party.

“What we solved last night is all the past bad feelings — again both sides came to a compromise on how we can move forward as a party. We have two Republicans in the race and they’re going to battle it out. They’re going to put their vision forward for the people of the 75th district and we’re going to have a Republican who wins that seat.”

While DeMaio gave no word on the vote, Hayes noted that “I am proud to be the party’s endorsed candidate. I’m glad the Republican Party of San Diego County has reaffirmed and recommitted this endorsement for the General Election.”

Experts noted that drama had been largely avoided, with a compromise coming before the party could split even further on the two GOP candidates.

“They’re both GOP, but come from different wings,” added Harris. “Heads would naturally butt, but not many had expected some in the party to try and switch endorsements. That just doesn’t happen. So an agreement was struck. DeMaio is all but assured to win, and at least this way both won’t have that nomination issue tearing things apart. The general feeling is that ‘At least no Democrats made it’. So they’re united on that.

Election day is November 5, 2024.