CAGOP Platform Update: Leaders Intervene, Committee Passes Existing Platform to Convention Floor

CAGOP Chairwoman Jessica Patterson refused to lead on the platform fight. Your intrepid blogger can’t tell if that is because she wanted to shred the platform, McCarthy wanted to shred the platform or that she really did not care about this foundational issue. None of these scenarios are good at all.

Four years ago when the far-left of the CAGOP tried to shred the platform, CAGOP Chair Jim Brulte put an end to the drama himself. This is called leadership.

The below email came out yesterday from the California legislative Republican leaders and then said leaders showed up to the convention. The result? The garbage produced by the platform drafting committee was discarded and the full committee voted 69-31 to re-adopt the existing CAGOP platform. It now requires a 2/3 vote to do anything but re-adopt the existing platform at tomorrow’s floor session.

Platform Committee Members: As proud conservatives and the Leaders of our respective Caucuses, we believe in the foundational principles of the Republican Party. Principles of human freedom and equality, the dignity of all life, free enterprise, and time tested moral wisdom. We need to reach more Californians with our values.  Younger voters and minority communities are responding to our message when we show up and apply those values to the issues they face: crushing everyday costs, crime that makes them feel unsafe, and education that is failing our kids. Republicans have answers to each of those problems. Every so often, a robust discussion about our platform is necessary and essential.  When we do it’s important that we hear from everyone in our Party.  We are a big tent, a Grand Old Party, and all of our members are valued.  Sometimes we may disagree, but our differences are reconcilable and we cannot allow that to distract from our fight for the future of California. This is a state we all love and one that is currently being destroyed by the secular progressive values of the Democrats. This is why we are asking the Platform Committee to simply re-adopt the existing party platform on Saturday. This platform covers a broad assortment of the policies and principals we support even if we have some differences over language. We cannot risk a divisive platform debate extending to the next convention during an important election year. We appreciate the work that has gone into this process and value the various opinions that have been shared by many of our friends. We do not need unnecessary division in our Party.  Instead we must come together and focus on getting more Republicans elected to office in order to Fix California. We stand ready to lead in that fight! Thank you for your service and consideration of our request. James Gallagher Assembly Republican Leader Brian Jones Senate Republican Leader