Do you remember a time when Republicans controlled a majority of statewide offices in California and were competitive in the State Legislature and Congressional delegations? If you are struggling to recall that’s because it was more than 30 years ago!
Today Republicans are a “super-minority” party — and have no real leverage in state government. While a number of factors have led to the decline of Republicans in our state, many political observers blame the California Republican Party (CAGOP) itself for being completely ineffective and engulfed in infighting.
That’s why Carl DeMaio, chairman of Reform California and State Assemblymember, is proposing a 7-point plan dubbed “Reform CAGOP” that would dramatically overhaul the state party.
“On a good day the CAGOP is completely ineffective and irrelevant — and on its bad days it is a dumpster fire of incompetence and corruption,” DeMaio warns.
“Unless we fix the CAGOP, Republican candidates for every office — from local school boards to US Congress and everything in between — will continue to suffer,” DeMaio says.
DeMaio’s 7-point “Reform CAGOP” Plan comes right as the state party is set to meet to elect a new Chair and key state board positions.
DeMaio says the intense focus within the state party on who will become the next Chair is misguided.
“Unless we fix the structural problems and super-minority mindset culture within the CAGOP, the races for Chair and other party board positions are completely irrelevant — like selecting who gets to be the Captain of the Titanic versus fixing the gaping hole in the side of a sinking ship,” DeMaio says.
The CAGOP has largely been responsible for setting the platform, tone, and priorities of Republican candidates throughout the state — as well as fundraising and organizing to win campaigns. But fundraising has cratered, and so far this year, the CAGOP state account has raised $16.7 million; in 2006, that number was $45.6 million — or $71.4 million in inflation-adjusted dollars.
DeMaio says that the money has dried up because the party continues to lose winnable races by failing to organize competent campaigns — as well as breaking trust with donors, volunteers, candidates and voters.
Just this election cycle, DeMaio says the CAGOP backed bonds, failed to oppose tax hikes, failed to recruit and/or properly train candidates for office, failed to provide Republicans with an adequate voter guide, failed to properly support candidates for office, and took credit for things it had absolutely no role in.
DeMaio says there’s nothing to be done about past failures of the CAGOP, but moving forward significant change must be embraced at the party at all levels.
“I see the CAGOP the same way I see a bankrupt company — we can salvage it but only if it is subject to a court-imposed Restructuring Plan,” DeMaio says.
That’s why DeMaio’s plan to “Reform CAGOP” isn’t focused on just who leads the party, but instead on fixing the underlying structural issues that have caused the party to collapse over the last 30 years. Read the plan below and sign the petition to demand candidates for CAGOP leadership support these changes.
The “REFORM CAGOP” Plan
- Make Election Integrity CAGOP’s Top Ballot Priority: Some Republicans have lost faith in voting in California because of significant concerns about voter fraud. To ensure elections are fair and trust is restored, the CAGOP should commit to helping collect 1 million signatures to put a Voter ID Initiative on the ballot in 2026 – and use the excitement surrounding it to rebuild the grassroots activist core of small dollar donors and volunteers across the state. Reform California Chairman Carl DeMaio has authored the CA Voter ID Initiative so the legal proposal is ready to go.
- Commit to Opposing All Taxes and Bonds: Republican voters believe the party has sold them out when it comes to fiscal responsibility - and worse, may have sold its endorsement in recent elections to special interests who back tax hikes and bonds on the ballot. To fix that problem, the CAGOP rules should be changed to automatically oppose all tax hikes and bond measures — with a reversal of this opposition position only overturned with a two-thirds vote of the Party delegates.
- Improve Candidate Recruitment and Support: The CAGOP has failed to recruit, train and support quality candidates for numerous seats that could be winnable if the party simply tried. The CAGOP should impose new candidate recruitment rules requiring the board to identify a list of target seats for US Congress and State Legislature that expand our battlefield and ensure that each candidate has proper training, mentorship, and support to file for their seats. Once target seats are covered, the Party must continue to recruit and train candidates for all other Federal and State seats – give no free passes! For candidates without funds for a dedicated consultant, the Party should provide a “Campaign-in-a-Box” template of support and services to each candidate to keep them compliant and effective.
- Provide ALL Republican voters in the state with a Detailed Voter Guide: Many Republicans don’t vote or vote the wrong way in races because they simply do not know who the Republican candidate is. To fix this confusion, the CAGOP must work with local counties to provide a comprehensive Republican Party online voter guide for each election – covering state and local measures along with local races – especially school boards and judges. The Party must also provide a standard statewide door hanger for counties without a county-level door hanger, and must work with candidates and outside groups to distribute the guide through paid programs (email, text, mail, canvass, etc.).
- Guarantee Transparency on Party Finances: Donors are concerned that the party is not spending contributions properly. To restore trust, the CAGOP must present a General Operations Budget that covers all overhead for the Party – and commit to funding this on no more than 15% overhead on voter contact programs. If an appeal is being made to a donor for overhead expenses, then the Party must make that explicit in the solicitation. The Party should tie all remaining fundraising appeals (and use of funds) to specific voter-contact and election programs — and faithfully fulfill donor intent on expenditures. The CAGOP should provide a monthly results report in each Party program area to donors, candidates, elected officials, and state delegates – with specific metrics showing actual results vs. goals, and require an independent third party audit of all of the above.
- Rebuild and Empower Our Grassroots Base – Volunteers and Donors: Grassroots supporters feel like the Party disregards them in favor of big donors and lobbyists. To empower the grassroots, the CAGOP must recruit, train and deploy volunteers to cover target seats and build up a small dollar donor program to provide independence from special interest funds. To give the grassroots a greater voice in decisionmaking, the CAGOP should add two seats to its Executive Committee for “Grassroots Representatives” that are elected by verified volunteers who canvassed a precinct or current small dollar donors.
- Eliminate Special Interest Influence in Party Decisions: The CAGOP must eliminate proxy voting and instead move to an alternate system of voting like central committees (which also provides for more participation and revenue). The Party must also require candidates for Chair/Board to disclose contributions in support of their office.
What are the next steps in implementing DeMaio’s 7-Point Reform CAGOP Plan?
Republican politicians and county parties all get to appoint more than 1500 “state party delegates” who will meet at a convention this March 2025.
At that Convention, the delegates may revise the party bylaws, adopt a restructuring plan, and elect new leaders. Following the Convention, the state party board of directors will also meet to vote on the party budget and policies as well as make staffing decisions.
“If the CAGOP doesn’t make the necessary changes we are demanding starting in March 2025, we are going to navigate around the state party in our fight to take back California from the far-Left — and urge donors, volunteers and candidates to look elsewhere,” DeMaio says.
“I don’t think that is necessary because I do believe there are a lot of well-intentioned Republicans who know problems exist and big reforms are needed at the CAGOP — so by releasing this 7-point Reform CAGOP Plan I hope to stimulate that conversation,” DeMaio concludes.
