Can California Republicans keep the 2024 momentum going? New chair wants to ‘go on offense’
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RANKIN TAKES THE REINS
California’s Republican delegates chose Corrin Rankin as the party’s next leader at their spring organizing convention in Sacramento over the weekend.
Rankin just completed two years as CAGOP vice chair and is the first Black woman to lead the party. But in an era of Republican attacks on diversity initiatives, she called herself “the most qualified person who happens to be a woman, who happens to be Black. … I had the qualifications, I had the experience, and that’s why I was elected chair.”
She takes over leadership of the party from Jessica Millan Patterson, who touted adding a million Republican voters during her six-year tenure while expanding volunteer infrastructure to reach Latino voters in key regions.
“Change is coming to California,” Rankin said in remarks after she was elected Sunday. “It’s time to end the Democrats’ one-party rule and make California great again.”
Republicans flipped three legislative seats in November and Rankin plans to keep the party “on offense” and woo voters who are “unhappy with the rising crime (and) the rising cost of living.”
While it’s still unlikely a Republican could win a statewide election, there is opportunity for the party to continue chipping away at the Democratic supermajority in the Capitol. A PPIC analysis found a cross-section of voters left the Democratic party for the GOP in 2024 – particularly younger voters.
“The Republican party is here for everyone,” Rankin said. “We’re going to be reaching out to all Californians with our common sense solutions.”
The CAGOP’s new chair is aligned with President Donald Trump and said she “can’t think of any” place she disagrees with him. Nor is she concerned that his trade policies or cuts to health care could hurt Republicans in the 2026 midterms, particularly in the Central Valley, where most residents rely on Medicaid.
“We’ve got some really great elected officials throughout the Central Valley,” she said. “They’re very pragmatic. So I think that communication, listening to voters and town halls will help us move the needle.”
Speaker Mike Johnson, though, has urged GOP members not to hold town halls.
Rankin defeated former state Sen. Mike Morrell of San Bernardino County for the party’s top position. She had consolidated support from a more establishment wing of the party, boasting endorsements from a slate of Republican state and federal lawmakers and dozens of party officials.
She was born and raised in Menlo Park and now lives in Stockton with her family.
Delegates also elected John Park as vice chair, Sayrs Morris as secretary and Jack Guerrero as the party’s treasurer.
BONTA LAWSUIT OVER FEDERAL FIRINGS SECURES EARLY WIN
via William Melhado
Less than a week after attorneys general sued the Trump administration’s firing of federal workers, a federal district judge in Maryland issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday directing over a dozen agencies to reinstate probationary employees.
Attorney General Rob Bonta sued President Donald Trump earlier this month, arguing the administration violated federal law by firing new employees without following required procedures.
The district judge in Maryland directed the agencies to reinstate employees no later than March 17 and to provide receipts to the court that those workers were either back on duty. The judge also blocked the Trump administration from conducting future mass layoffs without following the steps outlined in federal employment law.
“The Trump Administration’s callous and reckless mass firing of probationary federal employees has caused chaos and prevented these workers from providing critical services that affect the everyday lives of Americans, from offering support for veterans and farmers, to protecting our cherished national parks and public lands,” Bonta said in a statement.
The Trump administration did not immediately return a request for comment.
Last week, Bonta and several other attorneys general filed another lawsuit against Trump and the federal Department of Education after half of the agency’s staff was fired. Bonta asked a U.S. district court in Massachusetts to reinstate those employees that were fired and stop the federal administration’s efforts to dismantle the Education Department.
In another lawsuit against the Trump administration that challenged the president’s firing of probationary employees, a California district judge ordered six federal agencies to reinstate thousands of probationary workers last week.
NEW GROUP HOPES TO COUNTERBALANCE BIG TECH’S INFLUENCE
Seeking to offset a rush of recent tech lobbying in California, the D.C.-based nonprofit Tech Oversight Project launched a Sacramento branch last week to advocate for stricter oversight of the industry.
Tech Oversight California will push for policy reforms to increase privacy, safety and competition. It’s already backing three bills: one to crack down on AI chatbots’ interactions with minors, another to restrict price-fixing algorithms, and a proposal to ban sellers from using personal data to set prices, also known as surveillance pricing.
In recent years, tech companies have successfully batted down major legislative efforts to reform artificial intelligence and social media rules for kids, including an AI regulation bill Newsom vetoed last year.
“We’re excited to launch Tech Oversight California at a critical time in the state’s fight to rein in Big Tech, leaning on our track record of success in beating the biggest industry players’ playbook both nationally and at the state level, and offering extra muscle,” said Sacha Haworth, executive director of The Tech Oversight Project. “We’re not afraid to bring the fight to Big Tech companies.”
The group is advised by two Capitol alumni. Policy advisor Nichole Rocha is a former consultant for the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee. Communications advisor Kevin Liao was press secretary for former Speaker Anthony Rendon. Former Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson will also serve as an advisor.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I personally think it’s beneath her, but I welcome it.”
–Outgoing CAGOP Chair Jessica Millan Patterson on a potential Kamala Harris gubernatorial bid
Best of The Bee:
- Republicans praise Donald Trump, Elon Musk at convention: ‘Make California great again’ via Nicole Nixon & Jenavieve Hatch
- Education department chaos is already affecting Sacramento students. Will it get worse? via Jennah Pendleton
- State issues guidelines on back-to-office order. Some long-distance commuters may be exempt via William Melhado
- California insurance commissioner to approve State Farm rate hike — if conditions are met via Stephen Hobbs
- California Republican lawmakers raise questions about $3.4B loan to bail out Medi-Cal via Kate Wolffe
