California GOP leaders focusing on state’s congressional races
By Ana B. Ibarra
CalMatters Writer
With days left in a neck-and-neck presidential election, many anxious California Democrats are getting on buses to neighboring swing states where they hope they can make a difference with undecided voters.
They know their solidly blue state is practically in the bag for Vice President Kamala Harris, but polls show the race tied within the margin of error in Arizona and Nevada.
That’s why Melissa Hitt of Long Beach joined dozens of other Harris supporters early Saturday catching a bus to Las Vegas on an overnight trip to knock on doors.
“I know Nevada is a big state that matters a lot in this election,” she said. “I feel like even if a few of us convince a few voters, that could really make a difference.”
It’s not hard to find a bus trip this year to a swing state with the Harris campaign, the Democratic Party, left-leaning advocacy groups and unions booking travel for volunteers. That’s a step up from the kind of campaigning a committed volunteer can do from home, such as writing postcards or making phone calls.
The personal touch matters, said U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez in a send-off speech to the Los Angeles volunteers last weekend.
“Knocking on doors is the most effective way to flip somebody, the most effective way to connect with them, the most effective way to share your personal story of why you’re doing what you’re doing,” Gomez said.
“I mean, it’s not normal to get on a bus, to go and knock on doors in a different state. That’s not normal. But you know what’s normal? Caring about the country and your families and what you want to see,” he said.
To be sure, California is the biggest prize in the presidential election with 54 electoral votes. But the state has not backed a Republican for president since George H.W. Bush in 1988, and it is not in play.
By contrast, Nevada, with six electoral votes, and Arizona, with 11, are up for grabs.
California Republicans walking for House races
California Democrats have sent volunteers to Phoenix, Yuma, Reno and more. California Republicans are not making the same concerted effort to win over voters in neighboring states.
Instead, the GOP is working to win the House of Representatives, a task that runs through California because of several hotly contested races in the San Joaquin Valley and in Southern California.
“The best way for California Republicans to support President Trump is to secure a GOP House majority to help him implement his agenda in Washington,” Ellie Hockenbury, a spokesperson for the California Republican Party, said in an email. “With more targeted House seats than any other state in the nation, the California Republican Party is working tirelessly to compete and win these critical races.”
Some right-leaning political consultants acknowledge the Democratic ground game in swing states could pay off.
“The buses are not a waste of time,” said Russell Lowery, a Sacramento political consultant who has worked with Republican campaigns. “The low-information unlikely-to-vote person can make a real difference. Often it is the last message they hear that makes the difference.”
Matt Rexroad, a Republican political consultant, said Harris’ roots in the Bay Area and Sacramento could be motivating to California Democrats. He said it makes sense for the California Republican Party to prioritize House races as he ticked off the names of GOP candidates in hot races.
“So if you focus on one race, you’d say, ‘Oh, well, that’s a misallocation of resources.’ But people have different priorities,” said Rexroad. “You have a lot of very dedicated, loyal people to (candidates) like David Valadao and Scott Baugh and Ken Calvert, and they’re going to stick around and do those things here, because that’s who’s closest to them.”
CalMatters Deputy Editor Adam Ashton contributed to this report.
