I’ve known Andy Gharakhani since the mid nineties when I was on the CRP Board and he was a lowly CRP staffer. As a staffer Andy always delivered.

I was surprised to get his email asking me to attend a meeting of LA County GOP leaders being convened by the Los Angeles New Majority. Andy now delivers for the LA New Majority as their Executive Director.

 

I probably qualify as a GOP leader in LA County. I’m a long time elected official, Chair of the San Gabriel Valley Lincoln Club and held too many positions in the LA County Central Committee over the years, but I’m also president of the California Republican Assembly.

 

As most readers know, the CRA is the conservative volunteer organization in the party. And when the New Majority first arrived on the scene they tried to wrest control of the Orange County Republican Party from Tom Fuentes and change the party from its conservative roots.

 

Naturally, I quizzed him about the New Majority’s intentions etc…

 

Well, I went to the meeting.

 

 In addition to some New Majority leaders, there was a collection of current and former leaders of the Local and State Party including Duf Sundheim, The LA Lincoln Club including Bob Virtue, representatives of about half the GOP officials representing part of LA County and the Victory 2006 staff including Bill Christiansen, the head of the Victory 2006 field operation, who ironically was part of the Orange County operation the New Majority operation tried to take out.

 

I know people are waiting for when the fireworks took place, but it never happened. Discussion focused on what is working, what isn’t and what could be done in LA County, What areas to focus on and where geographically to target possible resources.

 

I have to admit I was surprised, no discussion of how to eliminate people like me from the party…just party building.

Interesting to see how the New Majority’s involvement will play out.