California Republicans’ comeback continues

OC Register
CAGOP Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson
December 12, 2024

Ballot counting isn’t a sprint in California; it’s a month-long marathon. Finally, after weeks of ballot curing and counting, the results are in, and California Republicans have much to be excited about. Six years ago, the Republican Party was the third largest political party in California, behindDemocrats and No Party Preference. Today, voters increasingly show that they are with Republicans in support of commonsense solutions to California’s many problems.

President Donald Trump’s victory was not only a national mandate for his conservative agenda, but he moved the needle to the right even in deep-blue California. When all votes were counted, President Trump performed better in 78 percent of California counties than he did in 2020. At the same time, his opponent, California Democrat Kamala Harris, underperformed Joe Biden’s 2020 results in 57 of 58 counties.

Not only that, but President Trump flipped 10 counties entirely over Harris. Fresno, Merced, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties voted this year for a Republican presidential nominee for the first time since 2004. Imperial County backed a Republican for the first time since 1988.

Much has been made at the national level about President Trump’s success with Latino voters in the election. California Latinos make up around 40 percent of the state’s population, and early data suggests this critical demographic likely helped President Trump in California too. Among the counties that flipped to red, Imperial, Merced and Riverside counties have majority-Latino populations. 

At the state level, California Republicans found huge success. Not only did Republicans protect every incumbent in the state legislature, but we also picked up three seats – two in the Assembly and one in the Senate. This is the first time California Republicans picked up seats in both chambers during a presidential election since 1980, the same year Americans sent a California Republican to the White House. And it happened in districts where Democrats have voter registration advantages, including double-digit advantages in both Assembly pickups.

The party’s nine new legislative members also reflect the diversity of the Golden State. A majority of the new members are women, and two thirds are from either Hispanic or AAPI backgrounds. They also include the two youngest members of the California legislature from either party.

California Republicans’ victories continued with ballot initiatives – an area where the party’s track record has only gotten better in recent years. In 2020, voters sided with the California Republican Party on seven of the 11 ballot initiatives in which we took a position. In 2022, voters were with the CAGOP on two thirds of the ballot initiatives. This year, voters were with the CAGOP on eight out of nine ballot initiatives in which we took a position, or an astounding 89 percent. Voters are saying loudly and clearly that when they get a direct say on different policies, they are with Republicans instead of Democrats…

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