Trump, Scott, DeSantis, and Ramaswamy make their pitch to Golden State conservatives this weekend amid a battle over the state GOP’s delegate rules
The path to securing the 2024 Republican presidential nomination takes a notable detour through California this week, and not just because of the second GOP primary debate held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Wednesday.
Former President Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina all took the stage at the California GOP’s Fall 2023 Convention in Anaheim on Friday. The convention is set to feature a speech by multi-millionaire biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy on Saturday.
Beneath the surface of what is being touted as the largest convention ever organized by the Golden State Republican Party, a behind-the-scenes battle is unfolding. This conflict centers around allies of DeSantis and Trump, regarding a recent change in state party rules. This change potentially paves the way for the former president to secure all of California’s 169 delegates when the state conducts its presidential primary on March 5. California stands as the most significant prize among the dozen states holding Super Tuesday Republican presidential nominating contests.
While Trump, who has been the commanding front-runner for the Republican Party’s 2024 nomination for several months, skipped the first two presidential debates, he made a deliberate appearance at the convention. The event draws the state’s most prominent conservative leaders and activists, some of whom will serve as delegates in the upcoming year.
While California, a Democratic stronghold, may not play a significant role in the general presidential election, the state’s GOP primary could hold the potential to grant Donald Trump a decisive advantage in the Republican nomination race. This situation has prompted concerns among allies of Ron DeSantis.
Ken Cuccinelli, a former Virginia attorney general and deputy secretary of Homeland Security in the Trump administration, who founded the DeSantis-aligned super PAC “Never Back Down” earlier this year, expressed his apprehensions, stating, “The Trump team came into rig the rules in their favor.”
Last month, Erin Perrine, a spokesperson for “Never Back Down,” argued that the rules change in California amounted to “Trump-inspired rigging.”
Indeed, the Trump campaign supported these new rules, which stipulate that a GOP presidential candidate who secures more than 50% of the primary vote will be granted all 169 delegates at stake. In the absence of any candidate reaching this threshold, the delegates will be distributed proportionally.
This marks a significant departure from past California GOP primaries, where presidential candidates engaged in a competition for delegates at both the congressional district and statewide levels. In the previous system, the victor in each congressional district secured three delegates, while the candidate with the highest statewide vote count gained approximately a dozen additional delegates.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News on Friday, when asked about the rule change, Ron DeSantis criticized Trump’s allies, alleging their attempts to “essentially rig it in his favor.” DeSantis emphasized his belief in an open and equitable process, stating that the best candidate should prevail.
California GOP chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson explained to Fox News Digital that the primary objective behind the rules change was to ensure compliance with the Republican National Committee (RNC) rules. The previous rules would have resulted in the loss of half of California’s delegation, necessitating the modification of the rules to rectify this issue.
Despite the vocal opposition from numerous California Republicans regarding the new rules, Jessica Millan Patterson is optimistic that these changes will incentivize presidential candidates to actively campaign in California and boost voter turnout. The aim is to position the Golden State as a significant player in the selection of the 2024 Republican Party presidential nominee.
“We wanted to ensure that the rules were equitable for all contenders,” Patterson emphasized. “We believe this creates the best opportunity for a level playing field during the presidential primary.”
The finalization of the delegate rules is scheduled for this weekend, on the last day of the convention. However, altering the current rules is a formidable challenge, and DeSantis supporters face significant obstacles in their efforts to effect change.
In his interview with Fox News, Ron DeSantis continued to criticize Donald Trump for his absence from the first two GOP presidential nomination debates. DeSantis stressed the importance of earning the nomination and emphasized that no candidate should feel entitled to it. He underlined the expectations of voters in states like Iowa and New Hampshire, who anticipate hearing from the candidates, seeing them participate in forums, make their case, answer questions, and engage with other contenders. DeSantis viewed Trump’s avoidance of debates as a significant mistake and suggested that it sends a signal that voters are not a priority.
At the convention, Trump once again highlighted his substantial lead in the polls over DeSantis and the rest of the GOP field, stating, “Have I done a number on that guy… Have we done a number on him,” in reference to DeSantis.