Former San Diego Mayor Sees Rare Opportunity for California GOP in Newsom’s Failure

How do Republicans win a statewide election in California? Former San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer thinks he has the answer.

It’s been 18 years since the GOP last won the state’s governorship — coincidentally the last time a California governor faced recall. And as the likelihood of Gavin Newsom’s recall grows by the day, frustrated Californians are increasingly wondering who might replace him.

In 2003, it was the name recognition of Arnold Schwarzenegger that got the moderate Republican over the line — Schwarzenegger beat out 135 candidates with 48.6 percent of the vote, despite skipping all but one debate.

Now, a fellow moderate Republican is hoping to replicate Schwarzenegger’s success — not with Hollywood fandom, but with “common sense results.” Rather than spending time on highly partisan culture-war issues, Faulconer plans to focus relentlessly on the issues that affect the quality of Californians’ lives on a daily basis.

“We’ve had one-party rule out of the governor’s office and the state legislature, so, it is time for a party that focuses on results, on common sense, by somebody who has been proven to win elections and can govern effectively,” Faulconer told National Review in an interview. “It’s a real opportunity for us, as a California Republican Party, to demonstrate that we can break up that Democrat monopoly. This is going to be the year to do it, and I’m ready to go.”

Faulconer, who served out two terms as San Diego mayor, is quick to point to his political record as a Republican succeeding in a blue city.

“We’ve proven we can win. And I did it twice in San Diego. San Diego’s registration mirrors that of California — 24 percent Republican — it’s the same in San Diego as it was statewide,” he stated. “So I know how to build coalitions and win and get results. I know how to use the power of the bully pulpit to go out and win the argument publicly and then win the vote. That’s what you have to do to be successful in California and you have to get not just Republicans but independents and a portion of Democrats as well.”

One issue where Faulconer thinks a properly deployed bully pulpit could make a difference is schools, which in California are largely yet to open this year, because of strong pressure from powerful teachers unions — outraging many parents, including many former Newsom supporters. While the former mayor announced his campaign last month outside a shuttered Los Angeles public school, Newsom has been trying in vain to placate both sides. The governor reached a $6.6 billion deal with the state legislature this past week to “incentivize” in-person public education for kindergarten through second grade, but he has so far refused to mandate openings, leaving many parents stranded.

“I’ve been very outspoken that all schools should be open now at all grade levels,” Faulconer explained. “The fact that private schools are open in California, teachers are safely teaching in the classroom, kids are safely learning in the classroom, because those schools report to the parents. And yet public schools, that ultimately report to Gavin Newsom, remain closed. So it’s been an absolute failure of leadership, because he won’t cross the unions.”

As for his own agenda, Faulconer said he would utilize “the powers of the governor’s office, and the bully pulpit” to take on the teachers’ unions, which have criticized Newsom’s reopening plan as evidence of entrenched racism. But as the example of Newsom indicates, pro-opening rhetoric may not be enough — and Faulconer has so far declined to endorse the use of executive authority to suspend collective bargaining, reiterating his position to National Review.

“It’s a leadership position, and the governor is not using it,” he said.

In keeping with his non-ideological, quality-of-life focus, Faulconer stressed the importance of addressing the California homelessness crisis, improving infrastructure, and boosting public safety by increasing police funding — all areas he addressed during his time as mayor, a record he hopes will make him stand out in a potentially crowded recall field.

“You cut through it with a platform of a proven track record and results on the issues that Californians care about,” he remarked.

Faulconer also stressed that that “job flight from California . . . is real” and said he was worried about the business climate for Silicon Valley and other California staples, though he declined to offer his position on regulating Big Tech. According to Faulconer, the state’s recent decisions on ballot propositions — on commercial-property tax increases (rejected) and protecting the status of ride-sharing companies as independent contractors (passed) — only advance his argument.

“That’s a sign that Californians are starting to realize how important our competitive climate needs to be,” he explained. “And it’s time to have a governor who recognizes that, who doesn’t take California jobs for granted.”

So far, Newsom’s 2018 gubernatorial opponent John Cox has also entered the race, while President Trump’s former ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence Ric Grenell is reportedly considering his own run. While Faulconer is noncommittal on the possibility of Trump’s endorsement, despite voting for him in 2020, he praised state-party chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson as “the right person at the right time” and said he felt the same way about his candidacy.

“Look, I think Californians are ready for a change — and it’s Democrats, it’s independents, and it’s Republicans,” he stated. “Get us back to some sanity, get us back to some common sense. I think that’s what this election is going to be about — I’m betting on it.”