California Republican Party


The California Republican Party is the California affiliate of the United States Republican Party. The party is based in Sacramento, and is led by Chairwoman Jessica Patterson.
As of 2018, Republicans represent approximately 24% of the state's registered voters, placing the Republicans in third place in California behind the Democratic Party and no party preference voters. The party is a superminority in the California State Legislature, holding only 18 seats out of 80 in the California State Assembly, and 11 seats of 40 in the California State Senate. The California GOP also holds none of the 8 statewide executive branch offices, 6 of the state's seats in the House of Representatives, and neither of California's seats in the United States Senate.

History

Three Republican presidents from California include: Herbert Hoover; Richard Nixon who was a U.S. representative and senator from California; and Ronald Reagan who was a governor of California.
The last time a Republican presidential candidate carried the state of California was George H. W. Bush in 1988.

Elected officials

The following is a list of Republican statewide, federal, and legislative officeholders:

Members of Congress

U.S. Senate

Both of California's U.S. Senate seats have been held by Democrats since 1992. John F. Seymour was the last Republican to represent California in the U.S. Senate. Appointed in 1991 by Pete Wilson who resigned his Class I Senate seat because he was elected governor in 1990, Seymour lost the 1992 special election to determine who would serve the remainder of the term expiring in 1995 to Democratic challenger Dianne Feinstein who was subsequently elected to a full term two years later and has held the seat since. Pete Wilson was also the last Republican elected to represent California in the U.S. Senate in 1988, and the last Republican to represent California for a full term in the U.S. Senate from 1983 to 1989.

U.S. House of Representatives

Out of the 53 seats California is apportioned in the U.S. House of Representatives, 7 are held by Republicans:
California has not elected any GOP candidates to statewide office since 2006, when Arnold Schwarzenegger was re-elected as governor and Steve Poizner was elected insurance commissioner. In 2010, term limits prevented Schwarzenegger from seeking a third term while Poizner chose not to seek re-election as insurance commissioner, instead making an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for governor. In 2018, Poizner attempted to run again for his old seat of insurance commissioner, but did so without the affiliation to the Republican Party.

Board of Equalization, State Senate and Assembly

Board of Equalization

Republicans hold 1 of the 5 seats on the State Board of Equalization:
Republicans are in the minority, holding 11 of the 40 seats in the State Senate. Republicans have been the minority party in the Senate since 1970.
Republicans hold 18 of the 80 seats in the State Assembly. The last time the Republicans were the majority party in the Assembly was during 1994–1996.
Of California's ten largest cities, 4 have Republican mayors as of 2019:
The California Republican Party is a "political party that has detailed statutory provisions applicable to its operation", which are in division 7, part 3 of the California Elections Code. The Republican State Central Committee, the governing body of the California Republican Party, functions pursuant to its standing rules and bylaws. The RSCC works together with the Republican county central committees and district central committees, with county central committees appointing delegates to the RSCC. The regular officers of the RSCC are the chairman, state vice chairman, eight regional vice chairmen, secretary, and treasurer.

County central committees

There are semi-autonomous county central committees for each of California's 58 counties. At every direct primary election or when district boundaries are redrawn, their members are either elected by supervisor district or Assembly district depending on the county.
County partyElected members
Republican Party of Los Angeles CountyAssembly district committee members elected at the direct primary elections.
Republican Party of San Diego CountySix regular members elected from each Assembly district in the county.
Republican Party of Orange CountySix members elected from each Assembly district.

Party chairs