California Republicans gather for three-day state convention

Bakersfield Californian ^ | 8/6/04 | Jim Wasserman - AP

[NormsRevenge]

SAN DIEGO (AP) - California Republicans opened a three-day state convention Friday, aiming to gain several new seats in the state Legislature in November and rally members to win a second term for President George Bush.

The party, still basking in last year's election of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, gathered with hopes to keep chipping away at Democrats' majority in the California Legislature, and add to a national trend of growing Republican power over state lawmaking.

Party women also strategized to greatly increase their representation in California politics, where Republican women hold six of 190 legislative and congressional seats and elected statewide offices.

"The Democrats have redefined Republicans as a party of angry white men," said Assemblywoman Pat Bates, R-Laguna Niguel, addressing several women legislative and congressional candidates. "We have to recapture the hearts and minds of women."

California Republicans gained three legislative seats in 2002, winning more leverage over the state budget while their colleagues nationally gained control of 21 state legislatures, the most controlled by the GOP since 1952, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Though polls show Bush headed for defeat in California and the party still occupying its longtime minority status in the Legislature, party leaders said they are outhustling Democrats for campaign cash and narrowing the state's voter registration gap. Democrats, who dominate the state's congressional delegation and nearly all top state elected offices, represent 43.2 percent of California's registered voters compared to 35.6 percent for Republicans.

As Republicans meet, Democrats say their dreams of winning new legislative seats Nov. 2 will die amid a heavy turnout of Democratic, young and minority voters determined to drive Bush from office.

"Who's on the ballot at the top? It's Bush with his economic and Iraq mess," said Democratic Party spokesman Bob Mulholland.

The state convention comes two months after the June 5 death of former California Gov. and President Ronald Reagan, credited with revitalizing the national party during the 1980s, and 88 days before the Nov. 2 election where Bush aims to beat U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.

Thursday, a California Field poll showed Kerry's California supporters lack confidence he will defeat Bush.

Republican delegates were scheduled to hear U.S. Senate candidate Bill Jones, trailing in his race with incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer, and former Virginia governor and Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Gilmore, who headed the party during Bush's 2000 election campaign and resigned after the President's victory.

Schwarzenegger will be noticeably absent.

A spokeswoman for the governor said he has other plans, while party leaders said the convention is geared more to workshops and training than big-name speechmaking. Schwarzenegger is scheduled to give a keynote address during Republicans' national convention Aug. 30 to Sept. 2 in New York City.

As delegates gathered in San Diego, the Legislature's Republican leaders said Schwarzenegger's popularity gives them their best chance in years to win several new seats in lawmaking chambers they have controlled only briefly since 1959.

"Our goal is to pick up two seats in the Senate and have a good year," said Senate Minority Leader Richard Ackerman, R-Fullerton. The Senate has 25 Democrats and 15 Republicans. Assembly Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield said he hopes to gain several seats in an Assembly with 48 Democrats and 32 Republicans.

Ackerman called his top Senate priority a Stockton-area seat held by Sen. Richard Machado, D-Linden, who faces a challenge from Stockton Mayor Gary Podesto. Schwarzenegger attended a Podesto fund-raiser this summer. Ackerman also hopes to pick up a San Diego seat, where former Republican Assemblyman Larry Stirling faces Democratic Assemblywoman Christine Kehoe.

McCarthy said his first priority is defending his party's 2002 gains in the Assembly. There, he's fighting off Democratic challenges to one-term Republican Assemblywomen Shirley Horton of Bonita and Bonnie Garcia of Cathedral City.

"We have a chance of taking the Assembly back in 2006. But we have to keep those seats," said Julie Vandermost, president of the Republican-affiliated California Womens Leadership Association.

Republicans have also targeted Assemblywoman Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, who defeated Republican Dean Gardner of Bakersfield by 266 votes in 2002 and faces a rematch this year.

"That is a seat we can win," McCarthy said.

McCarthy said he's also counting on Long Beach Republican Steve Kuykendall to defeat Sen. Betty Karnette, D-Long Beach for a seat being vacated by Democrat Assemblyman Alan Lowenthal.

Mulholland said that's familiar talk among Republican leaders.

"They will be a minority at the end of the year and be a minority two years from now and be a minority four years from now," he said.

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On the Net:

California Republican Party: http://www.cagop.org

[goldstategop]

Whistling past the graveyard... the only good news in the bleak picture for Republicans is even Democrats think Kerry won't be elected President even though he will win California handily.