Moderate California Republicans Want New Direction for State GOP

With California's Republican Party sinking further out of political relevance, a group of moderates is promoting "New Way California" as a vehicle for steering the state GOP back toward the middle of the political spectrum.

As part of that effort, New Way California held a summit in Sacramento on Tuesday to bring together some of the leading moderates in the state. While there isn't an excess of options to choose from, the summit did manage to attract some big names, including  former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. He said every state is different and the California party needs to embrace the state's widely held values.

"(In) California, for instance, people have totally different needs. So when I came into office, I had to adjust," he said. "I said, 'Wait a minute, this normally wouldn’t be a Republican issue, but I make it my issue because I’m now their representative.' "

Schwarzenegger said California Republicans don't need to mirror the national GOP. To that end, he and others believe California Republicans should weigh in on issues like climate change and income inequality.

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer agrees. As one of just a handful of Republicans to lead a large city in the state, and one near the border, he said he's been successful by embracing the people in his city and the issues they care about, like immigration.

"We must push for efficient ports of entry and get smarter about border security," he said. "At the same time our party must welcome legal immigrants and encourage them to join our society as American citizens. I want every new citizen to know that they are as American as I am. And I want every new American to find a welcoming home in the new California GOP."

Accepting the reality of climate change was another theme throughout the summit. Faulconer and Schwarzenegger stressed that, in a state where the vast majority of voters are concerned about the warming climate, the GOP must be a part of the discussion on how to address it.

The summit attracted a modest crowd. At one point there were only about 75 people in the audience. But New Way board member and Republican political consultant Cassandra Pye said change can't be expected to come from just one event, but will require sustained efforts for like-minded Californians to start working together.

"For me, it's enough about partisanship. Let's just find people who are willing, frankly, to work across party lines to address some serious problems and issues," she said.

Moderates do see some positive signs for the state party. Many lauded the election of Jessica Patterson, a millennial and a Latina, as the new California Republican Party chair. But it will take more than a new face of leadership to reverse the GOP's decline over the past two decades.