Tonight, Republican activists and donors from all around San Diego County will cozy up at the Kona Kai resort at Shelter Island for the County GOP’s annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner (if you know local party boss Ron Nehring, it’s not hard to understand how his hero, Ronald Reagan, got equal billing on the marquis on this annual event). There will be a "who’s who" of the Republican scene on hand with Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman, incoming Assembly Republican leader George Plescia, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and a host of statewide Republican candidates all coming to support their party, and hear from keynote speaker Jim Gilmore, the former Republican Governor of Virginia and also a former Chairman of the Republican National Committee. But it won’t be Gilmore that is the star attraction at this event tonight, nor Ackerman or Plescia, or even my buddy Ron Nehring. No, tonight is going to be all about Brian Bilbray and Eric Roach. As you have all read, Bilbray appears to have eked out a narrow victory in a crowded field for the honor of being the lone GOP contender on the ballot against liberal Democrat… Read More

Tonight, Republican activists and donors from all around San Diego County will cozy up at the Kona Kai resort at Shelter Island for the County GOP’s annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner (if you know local party boss Ron Nehring, it’s not hard to understand how his hero, Ronald Reagan, got equal billing on the marquis on this annual event). There will be a "who’s who" of the Republican scene on hand with Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman, incoming Assembly Republican leader George Plescia, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and a host of statewide Republican candidates all coming to support their party, and hear from keynote speaker Jim Gilmore, the former Republican Governor of Virginia and also a former Chairman of the Republican National Committee. But it won’t be Gilmore that is the star attraction at this event tonight, nor Ackerman or Plescia, or even my buddy Ron Nehring. No, tonight is going to be all about Brian Bilbray and Eric Roach. As you have all read, Bilbray appears to have eked out a narrow victory in a crowded field for the honor of being the lone GOP contender on the ballot against liberal Democrat… Read More

Incumbents Sue McCloud, Paula Hazdovac and Gerard Rose neatly defeated their challengers to keep the City of Carmel a 100% Republican city. Mayor McCloud (as of last night) defeated Dogman McBill 952 to 335 to keep her seat as Mayor. Incumbents Paula Hazdovac and Gerard Rose obtained 855 and 829 votes respectively while challenger Ryan Walbrun garnered a surprising 658. Mayor McCloud said that "it will be nice to work with the same team." Congratulations to all!

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While normal people are doing normal things, you are reading this political website, and two of our site contributors, Duana Dichiara and Adam Probolsky, are in the midst of the only real political drama going on in California right now (other than the ‘will Roach run in June’ situation in San Diego).

Yesterday’s race in the 35th State Senate District special election didn’t end in the early evening, or the late evening — for that matter it didn’t end this morning! Actually, as of right now, niether candidate has declared victory nor admitted defeat. Conservative Diane Harkey is less than 300 votes behind moderate GOP Assemblyman Tom Harman.

All of the action today was down at the Orange County Registrar of voters where the ‘defense’ (aka…Team Harman) was headed up by Dichiara and his business partner… Read More

Yesterday I mentioned that there were April 11th elections other than the ones in San Diego and Orange counties. See it here.In Arcadia eminent domain should it could be a useful issue in local races. Peter Amundson, who I was working for came in 2nd and won a seat on the council. See the story here.The real story is that a poll was done by the mall that had Peter in last place out of 7 candidates with 2 percent of the vote.

What changed thing was the city of Arcadia planning to condemn some businesses and give them to a car dealerdhip. He was the only candidate to attend the rally to save one of the businesses that was featured on Hannity and Colmes. Peter did a piece on eminent domain… against it of course. He was very clear and the people responded. That is an important lesson. "No eminent domain for private gain".… Read More

Today, via his campaign spokesperson, Governor Schwarzenegger issued a simple but clear statement relative to Proposition 82 that will appear on the November ballot, and raises taxes in order to create a state-controlled pre-school program:

This is a great position to take, and hopefully the Governor will spend quite a bit of time publicly speaking out against this measure and raising funds to defeat it. The Governor’s opposition to tax increases is substantially more meaningful if he vigorously fights for this important position. The first step… Read More

The decision by Governor Schwarzenegger to oppose Proposition 82 shouldn’t surprise anyone. The fact that he distanced himself from the announcement by leaving it to a campaign spokeswoman to deliver the news shouldn’t be that surprising either. The only surprise is that it took so long.

Way back in 2005, Rob Reiner’s ballot initiative to raise taxes to pay for pre-school programs looked like a pretty sure bet to pass. Taxing the wealthy is a proven vote-getter (for ballot initiatives, not candidates, Mr. Angelides,) Everybody loves pre-school. And Reiner seemed to be on track to putting together a stem cell-ish coalition to fund and pass it. California’s business community leaders announced their opposition, a number of existing preschool providers warned of its harm to their existing programs, and policy analysts began to point out that the initiative would… Read More

Education is a critical issue for America, and for California. As a political professional, I spent the 1998 election cycle 100% dedicated to the education issue, first as the campaign coordinator for the successful Proposition 227 (to end the failed practice of bilingual education in public schools) and then as Campaign Manager for Gloria Matta Tuchman, who narrowly lost against former Democratic State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin.

I am a graduate of the California State University System and served as a member of the California State Students Association representing my university, and I also volunteered on a statewide commiteee of the CSU System.

It pains me to no end to know that during five long years, now-disgraced and recalled Governor Gray Davis appointed some very liberal Democrats to the important and impactful position of being a Trustee for the California State University system. There are only a few of these appointments. One of the painful appointments was when… Read More