Mitt Romney for president, Elizabeth Emken for U.S. Senate and Abel Maldonado for Congress were all endorsed Monday evening during a special meeting of the Santa Barbara County Republican Party Central Committee.

“Our entire Republican team is dedicated to restoring America as the land of opportunity for all,” said Gregory Gandrud, chairman of the Santa Barbara County Republican Party and vice chairman of the California Republican Party for the Central Coast Region. “We must make America competitive in the global economy so that jobs will once again be plentiful. Big government must be reigned in. We cannot continue to borrow and print money leaving future generations with debts that can never be repaid. We have a moral responsibility not to spend more than we take in.

“As Mitt Romney says, ‘We must have a smaller, simpler, smarter government.’ Elizabeth Emken has talked about the urgent need to reign in federal spending and provide real oversight on the performance of every federal agency.”

Maldonado said: “Across the ideological spectrum, it is painfully obvious that Washington just isn’t working. While I am honored to have the support of the Santa Barbara Republican Party, this election isn’t about me, it’s about the people in our community who desperately want a voice in Washington that is willing to say no to Wall Street bailouts, no to deficit spending and no to the expansion of government in our lives. What we need is a congressman who will say yes to measures that will cut government spending, who will be on the side of job creators and will work tirelessly to weed out the waste, fraud and abuse that has overrun your government.”

Gandrud added: “Lois Capps has become a creature of Washington who represents the status quo that has presided over a massive growth of government spending that has come at the expense of future generations who will inherit crushing debt and deficits. Regardless of your political affiliation, in a choice between a 14-year incumbent like Lois Capps and someone from outside the Washington-mentality like Abel Maldonado, the choice is clear, and tonight we have made our choice for who we want to represent us in Washington very clear.”

— Gregory Gandrud is chairman of the Santa Barbara County Republican Party.