California Republicans are on the verge of throwing away their best shot at the governor's mansion in over a decade, thanks to self-destructive infighting that's handing victory to the Democrats on a silver platter.
Despite California's deep blue reputation, political analysts say two Republican candidates could actually advance past a crowded field of Democratic contenders in June's jungle primary – if they don't destroy each other first.
Under California's top-two primary system, the two highest vote-getters advance to November regardless of party. With more than a dozen Democrats splitting the liberal vote, smart Republicans should be positioning themselves to capture both spots on the general election ballot.
Instead, GOP insiders are engaging in the same petty palace intrigue that has kept Republicans irrelevant in the Golden State for years. Rather than focusing fire on the failed Democratic policies that have turned California into a homeless-infested, crime-ridden wasteland, Republican candidates are busy attacking each other.
This represents a massive missed opportunity. Californians are fed up with Democratic mismanagement. Gas prices remain sky-high, the homeless crisis has spiraled completely out of control, and working families are fleeing the state in record numbers. The conditions are ripe for a Republican comeback.
"The math is simple – if Republicans can't get out of their own way, they'll hand Democrats another four years to finish destroying California," said one GOP strategist.
President Trump's landslide 2024 victory proved that Americans are hungry for common-sense conservative leadership. Even in blue states, voters are rejecting the radical left's agenda of high taxes, soft-on-crime policies, and woke nonsense.
But California Republicans seem determined to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Instead of presenting a united front against the Democratic establishment that has driven the state into the ground, they're playing the same insider games that turned the party into a laughingstock.
The question isn't whether California is ready for Republican leadership – it's whether California Republicans are ready to stop fighting each other long enough to win. Time is running out, and every day spent on infighting is another day closer to handing Democrats an easy victory they don't deserve.