Yesterday, writing from rainy Sacramento, I commented that San Diego County School Boardmember Sue Hartley, a liberal Republican who spends much of every month poking a stick in the collective eyes of her largely Republican and conservative constituents, was under siege from everyone right of say Congressman Ted Kennedy. I posted that Hartley was desperately trying to lock down some support right of center in a district with a voting base considerably right of center. And I posted that I thought the Lincoln Club endorsement was a major part of any strategy ending in her survival. The rumor train today, confirmed from 3 sources, says the Lincoln Club PAC Committee voted to endorse Hartley’s Republican conservative opponent Gary Felien.

Stop the bus folks, we got ourselves a race.

I also hear Felien has hired John Hoy, former executive director of the California Republican Party and current political consultant, to run his race. Good pick.

One better, folks in attendance confirm that Sue Hartley repeated that she would be seeking the Republican Party endorsement. I’d be willing to take odds tonight that she does no such thing. And I’ll report whether she does or not right here, and who the committee members are who support Hartley enough to sign her petition. In many ways, the ball is now in the court of Chairman Ron Nehring. With the Lincoln Club and partisan legislators (Issa, Morrow, Wyland) on the move, Nehring and the SDGOP can chose to unite the larger center-right coalition and take a leading role in defeating Hartley. Given Hartley’s disparaging comments about the GOP, I don’t see how the local GOP could do any less.

I believe our Republican coalition should be large enough to garner a majority, no matter what jurisdiction we are fighting over. I don’t believe in eating our own. In a seat where we need moderate views, I think our party should be wise enough to run and support moderates. But under no circumstances, regardless of the make-up of a given seat, do I believe that our Republican Party should look the other way at a ‘Republican’ candidate with such a record of hostility to our Party and our candidates.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 6th, 2006 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.