How California Could Decide Who Wins the Republican Nomination for President in 2024

In previous Presidential primary elections, California has been pretty irrelevant to who ultimately wins the nomination of each political party. In 2024 that will all change - and California is about to get a lot more say on who gets nominated in each party.

Despite its large size and big delegate count, California has usually held its primary election late in the process in the month of June. By that point, one candidate had always consolidated an insurmountable lead and the contest was effectively over.

For 2024 California is moving up its primary election to early March. That makes California an “early” state in the Presidential primaries.

This move puts California Republican voters in an extremely influential position. 

“Republican Presidential candidates have previously seen California as just an ATM of money for fundraising, but not relevant vote-wise because we were so late to the game,” notes Carl DeMaio, Chairman of Reform California, one of the largest conservative grassroots organizations in the state. 

“In 2024 that all changes because for the first time in a very long time, California Republican voters will be quite valuable to candidates seeking the nomination not only because we hold a bunch of delegates but because we can make or break momentum of any candidate who has an early lead from Iowa and New Hampshire,” DeMaio says.

Reform California sees the new-found relevance of California in the Republican nomination process as a big opportunity to rebuild and energize the conservative movement across the state.

“We welcome every candidate to come to California and stump for votes - and we hope all of this activity results in more grassroots activists getting involved in the fight to restore sanity in state and local politics here in California,” DeMaio says.

Reform California plans to host forums with Presidential candidates and is even conducting an online “straw poll” to allow voters to indicate who they are interested in supporting.

TAKE THE POLL: California Republican Presidential Straw Poll

DeMaio also notes that the rules for California’s Republican Presidential Primary help foster local activism.

That’s because California’s massive bounty of 169 Republican Delegates will be selected in two ways. 

First, every Congressional District in the state (52 districts) will be allocated three delegates. 

Second, only 13 delegates are selected based on the statewide results.

Currently, the California Republican Party is embroiled in a controversy where some party leaders want to award delegates in each district and statewide on a proportional method. Others want a winner-take-all method for individual districts and statewide. Whatever is decided, a local-focused allocation of delegates places a premium on local participation. Republican activists in low turnout Congressional Districts in California can have as much or more impact as entire states elsewhere in the country.

“By fostering local activists to get engaged, the Republican Presidential campaign in California could provide conservatives with a much-needed opportunity to rebuild in communities that there is currently very little activism going on,” DeMaio notes.

In addition to fostering participation in the Presidential primary, Reform California is focused on its statewide 2024 campaign to block state and local tax hikes and flip target seats. The organization recruits, trains and deploys volunteers into crucial contests and provides one of the best and most-used voter guides in the state for conservative voters.

“We need everyone to get involved in the fight to restore sanity in California - and 2024 offers ample opportunities to make a difference so we hope people sign up to volunteer and contribute to the cause today,” DeMaio concludes.