There is no larger region, geographically, within the California Republican Party than its Northern Region. It takes in vast amounts of the "north state" and includes 19 counties! The current Northern Vice Chairman of the CRP, Jerry Maltby, with whom I have served for almost two years, is term-limited out of his position (you can serve two 2-year terms).
There is a spirited contest to replace Jerry, between Placer County GOP Chairman Tom Hudson, and Lori Ann Cline, a former county chairman herself.
I can tell FR readers that I worked on recruiting Tom Hudson to run for this seat for well over a year, and when he finally jumped into the race, I was the first person to endorse his candidacy. Tom and I have known each other for two decades now, and worked side by side towards countless Republican victories in that time. In fact, going all of the way back to 1990, I played a leadership role in his election as Chairman of the California College Republicans, and Tom reciprocated helping me to be elected President of the California Republican Assembly five years later.
Tom Hudson is exactly the kind of conservative activist that we need to elevate to leadership within the California Republican Party. Tom is a passionate ideologue who is committed to the principles of our party — faith, family and free enterprise. Moreover though, Tom is a committed volunteer. Great have been the sacrifices that he and his wife, Carlene, and the kids have endured because when Tom is asked to serve, he almost always finds a way to say yes. His candidacy for this office is just the latest example.
As you have heard me say more and more, one of the most important changes that needs to take place after our party’s devastating losses in Washington, D.C., is a re-commitment to our core principles, and a need to fundamentally change the relationship between the Republican Party at every level, and our party’s candidates and office holders. Where the previous paradigm was that the "role and function" of the party was to elect Republicans to office, now we have a era upon us, one where our candidates and officeholders enter into a partnership with their party leaders.
In America, we have a "weak party" system of government — and as such, parties are pretty much defined by the public not based on the contents of a hardly-read platform, but based on the statements and actions of Republican candidates and officeholders.
I know that Tom Hudson shares my vision for this partnership, and stands ready to join a Board of Directors whose members regularly meet with our GOP candidates and officeholders, discussing issue of policy and politics. This is the best way for us to avoid a repeat performance of the calamity of our decade — a Republican President, Senate and House presiding over massive growth in the size and scope of the federal government.
As with my columns endorsing Laura Gadke for Central Valley Vice Chairman, and Doug Boyd for Los Angeles County Vice Chairman, below is a column from the candidate I am supporting, Tom Hudson. At the bottom of this post is also a link to Tom’s endorsements, and also a column submitted by Tom’s opponent, Lori Ann Cline.
I will close by saying that both of the candidates in this race are fine conservatives and good Republican activists. I just feel that in these times, Tom long track record of proven leadership and activism are exactly what we need on the State GOP Board of Directors.
Jon Fleischman, Publisher
COLUMN FROM TOM HUDSON, PLACER COUNTY GOP CHAIRMAN
AND CANDIDATE FOR VICE CHAIRMAN, NORTH, CRP
I am running for Northern Vice Chairman and I want you to know why you should care.
In normal times, it is easy to ignore the minor officers of the California Republican Party, since they have little power, no funding, no accountability, and virtually no name ID. Traditionally, Republican elected officials set the direction for the Party on public policy matters, the Chairman controls Party staff, and volunteers focus on candidates. Unfortunately, these are not normal times for the Republican Party, so it cannot be “business as usual” for the Board of Directors.
The Republican Party has been severely damaged by a few officeholders who were all too eager to abandon Republican principles. We had a Republican Congress that spent faster than the Democrats ever did. We had a President who seemed to have lost his veto pen. We had a Presidential nominee who supported amnesty for illegal aliens, drafted the McCain-Feingold law to restrict free speech, then suspended his campaign to fight for a disastrous bailout of private businesses with borrowed money. Meanwhile, our Governor fought to socialize our health insurance system, increased state spending by 40% in five years, added billions and billions in new debt, then demanded the largest tax increase in American history — in the middle of a recession — to avoid budget cuts. Abandoning his promise to “blow up boxes,” he instead filled those boxes with liberal Democrat appointees who are openly hostile to Republican principles. To make matters worse, our Party stuck by a failed experiment to allow non-Republicans to select our Party nominees. The results were predictable: more and more voters found they had no reason to join or support the Republican Party.
Until recently, our Party leaders responded to these Party-destroying actions with silence, acquiescence, and even cheers. Some Party leaders seemed more concerned about getting a seat at the head table, a picture with a celebrity, or an invitation to an exclusive event. Even when the Schwarzenegger Campaign persuaded the Board to incur multi-million-dollar debt in 2006, few of our leaders opposed it or even explained why it might be a bad idea.
That attitude needs to change. If our Party is to survive and become competitive in California, we need leaders who will articulate our message of freedom, limited government, lower taxes, and fiscal responsibility — and put those ideas into practice at the Party level. When unprincipled opportunists start chopping down the pillars supporting our “Big Tent,” we need Republican leaders who will speak up, even at the risk of their petty positions and perks. Voters need to hear the Republican message loud and clear, especially when that message is being undermined by our officeholders.
Fortunately, change is already happening. Our brave legislators have withstood severe pressure to raise taxes without fundamental reforms. Our Board of Directors has publicly supported our legislators and opposed the Governor’s tax-raising schemes. An army of volunteers — like me — fought the establishment and the Obama tidal wave to elect bold leaders like Tom McClintock. I am running for Northern Vice Chairman to help our Party find its voice and offer a positive vision for California. As the leader of the statewide coalition that opposed the Governor’s mega-bonds, I have demonstrated the ability to stand up to powerful special interests to explain our position without hostility or personal attacks. I have the skills to help rebuild the Republican brand and show voters why we deserve their support.
We all know that candidates can say whatever they want, but a candidate’s record normally provides the best prediction of his future performance. I have a 24-year history as an unpaid Republican volunteer. I have been an elected member and officer on five different county central committees, which has given me a unique perspective on what works. I have served as the County Chairman in California’s most Democrat county (Alameda) and its most Republican county (Placer). I have successfully campaigned for Republican candidates in two dozen other counties.
As a senior tax attorney for Bill Leonard, a Republican constitutional officer and Board of Equalization member, I have become an expert in state government and our dysfunctional tax system. I hope to use my knowledge and my contacts to help the Party fight higher taxes. As a former Legislative staffer, I know how to get things done in the Legislature and I how to encourage and support our legislators. As a sixth-generation Californian with relatives and friends throughout the 19-county Northern Region, I understand our unique issues and I am well prepared to advocate our positions to Board members from the Bay Area and Southern California.
With your support, I will help put the Republican Party back on track toward rebuilding our nation as the “Shining City on a Hill” for which Ronald Reagan fought.