As California's June primary nears, the state Republican Party is navigating a delicate balance between its pro-Trump base and the electoral necessity of appealing to a broader, Democratic-leaning electorate. At the party's San Diego convention, delegates displayed strong support for former President Donald Trump, while GOP officials and candidates in competitive races downplayed his influence.
Key Republican legislators, like Riverside's Leticia Castillo and Coachella's Jeff Gonzalez, are focusing campaigns on local issues like public safety, avoiding close alignment with the nationally unpopular former president. In Imperial County and other swing areas, party strategists advise candidates to keep mum on Trump due to voter frustration with the economy and high gas prices linked to the war with Iran.
The party's success in holding onto a handful of vulnerable seats may depend on this strategy of localized campaigning, as Democrats maintain a commanding supermajority in the state legislature.