SACRAMENTO, Calif. —The effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom has yet to trigger an election, but California Republicans are already fighting about how they might endorse someone to replace him.
California Republicans at an organizing convention this weekend will debate a change to party bylaws around candidate endorsement that has some delegates fuming it could diminish the power of grassroots activists in the recall.
The amendment proposed by Sacramento GOP Chairwoman Betsy Mahan could allow the party's roughly 100-member executive committee to endorse a candidate in a recall election.
That's a change from normal practice.
In a typical election, the full party delegation of about 1,400 members votes to determine which candidate the party should endorse.
Candidates need to win at least 60% of the delegation to be endorsed. In 2018, for example, businessman John Cox failed to win the necessary votes and thus wasn't endorsed ahead of that year's primary for the governor's race.
Mahan said the proposed change is all about timing, to ensure the party can issue an endorsement ahead of a recall election.
"The amendment was introduced because I am concerned the CAGOP will not be able to consider endorsing in the Recall under current rules. It is my intent to have the Rules Committee debate the issue and clarify a process that allows for the full Executive Committee, made up of over 100 delegates, to consider an endorsement should the full delegation be unable to meet in person for this purpose," Mahan said in a statement.
But others are angered at the notion of changing the endorsement rules. It's not often that the party has a statewide recall election to consider, but those like delegate Carl DeMaio say the bylaws clearly state the full delegation should vote on an endorsement in a recall, as it does for any other election.
DeMaio and others say such a change would allow for a small group of party elites to anoint a candidate in the event a Newsom recall makes it to the ballot, rather than the wider delegation.
"What the Republican Party insiders need to understand is that this is not their recall. Listen to the grassroots, let them decide, butt out of it, and stop your manipulation," he said. "Stop the Sacramento swamp games, because that's what this."
DeMaio, who is also chairman of the conservative group Reform California, said the proposed rule change is an attempt by the California GOP leaders to hijack the grassroots recall effort and endorse their preferred candidate. Earlier this week he sent an email to fellow Republican delegates urging them to vote against Mahan's proposed rule.
Two high-profile Republicans have launched campaigns for the office, including former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Cox, the businessman who lost to Newsom in 2018. The party's endorsement would give either of them — or any other candidate — a big lift on a recall ballot that could include dozens of names.
California Republican Party spokesperson Samantha Henson said Mahan's proposal opens the door to a conversation about making endorsements during statewide recalls, but does not prescribe how it will take place.
Stephen Frank, a California Republican delegate who is running for party chair against incumbent Jessica Millan Patterson, said Republican party leaders have "set the table" so they can make the endorsement decision for the party, instead of letting all delegates vote.
"What they're trying to do is create an imperial chairmanship, an imperial party, which operates with the leadership telling the members 'this is what you'll do, this is what you'll believe, and you have no choice,'" Frank said.
Those running the recall campaign say they want to stay out of party politics. Randy Economy, spokesman for the Recall Gavin 2020 campaign, said he understands there are wider political consequences to the recall, but right now, organizers are just focused on collecting signatures and getting it on the ballot.
The recall has not endorsed a candidate to challenge Newsom, and it does not intend to, Economy said.
"Our job is to recall this governor, and to make sure that everything is done by the letter of law and to collect as many signatures as possible to get this thing done," he said.
Aside from concerns that party leadership may be trying to unilaterally endorse a candidate, some say it's simply too early to endorse. The last gubernatorial recall election in California saw dozens of candidates put their names on the ballot. Given that the recall hasn't even qualified yet, there's still plenty of time for candidates to launch campaigns.
Delegates are scheduled to discuss Mahan's proposed bylaw change at the California Republican Party convention this weekend, which will run from Feb. 19 through 21.
