Conservative enthusiasm was in the air as a larger-than-expected crowd of more than 175 County Republicans met for chicken, tri-tip, and “all the fixin’s” at Tucker’s Grove Kiwanis Meadows on Labor Day to celebrate the Republican party’s message: “We are Team Normal.”
Bobbi McGinnis, chair of the Santa Barbara County Republican Party, invited Jim Worthen to say the invocation, which was followed by the pledge of allegiance led by Joe Bailey, a 96-year-old veteran of the Korean war, wearing his veteran’s cap.
McGinnis stated with pride, “Locally, we had 140 open seats up for election. The local Republican Party recruited over 100 candidates, and 37 have already won their positions.”
A continuing motif of the afternoon was a desire to offer a “moderate, centrist” point of view and to appeal to ordinary parents, homeowners, and small business owners.
“We looked for candidates who were crossover, truly non-partisan, to run for office. And people who can get the endorsements from both sides of the aisle,” said McGinnis.
Brian Cox, running for SBCBOA TA3, struck this welcoming tone. “I know how to work with people I don’t necessarily agree with on everything.”
Cox is the retired rector of Christ the King Episcopal Church in Goleta and has had a long career training teams in conflict resolution skills in Zambia, Israel, Romania, and Ireland.
The affable candidate Nick Sebastian (SBCBOA TA2) served for years as the SBUSD’s “IT and data whiz.” He was the “go-to” person to keep all technical areas of the district running smoothly.
“I’m not a politician. I really want to win this, because I know what I can do. Where is the money really going? I know what to look for.”
A dynamic new voice comes from Franklin Elementary veteran arts teacher Phyliss (pronounced “feliz”) Cohen for SBUSD TA3. She cooked up her special recipe Polish potato salad to serve the large crowd.
Cohen (TA3, Mesa and South Goleta) and SBUSD candidates John Robertson (TA2, Montecito and Foothills) and Jason Lekas (TA5, North Goleta) are running for their seats in the very first election cycle for newly-formed Trustee Areas in the SBUSD.
We are fighting to cross party lines, and engage the “normal people,” the “Younkin voter,” said McGinnis. Younkin rode to a surprise victory in “blue” Virginia in 2022 on a wave of anger from parents, including Independents and Democrats who crossed party lines. His Democratic opponent crashed in the polls after making the statement, “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.”
Sari Domingues from north county spoke with passion about her campaign for State Legislature. “My opponent, Gregg Hart, votes line-step in sync with the most radical elements of the Democratic party. He votes ‘yes’ on all the ‘bad laws.’”
Domingues called Hart out in particular for his “yes” vote on AB 665 (minors may consent to mental health services without notifying parents) and AB 957 (judges may take away parent custody if they do not agree with the child’s gender ideology).
“I’m all about family,” said Domingues. “I will vote ‘no’.”
Domingues had a long career was as business analyst for Monterey County, overseeing HR for 5,000 employees.
There are many ballot propositions and new taxes on the ballot in November. High in priority for Republicans are rent control (Prop 33: “vote NO”), and crime (Prop 36, also known as “Make Crime Illegal Again”: “vote YES”).
“Rent control is bad for both tenants and landlords, especially mom-and-pop landlords. It’s counter-productive,” McGinnis said.
The party opposes the local bond Measure P for SBCC, as does the candidate Lisa Sloan, running for SBCC TA2. Sloan worked as a Senior Environmental Health Specialist for the County of Santa Barbara for decades. “When property taxes go up for property owners, rents go up for tenants,” she said.
Candidate Elijah Mack, a charismatic figure with a gift for rhetoric and a folksy manner (McGinnis calls him a “young Abe Lincoln”), is running to unseat Monique Limón for State Senator. If elected, at 20 years old, he would be the youngest ever to serve in the State Senate in California history. His slogan is “Liberty, Nature, Community.”
“I’ve been getting emails from people I’ve talked to at the Farmers’ Markets. A lot of Democrats and moderates, and they’ve been telling me that I’m the first Republican they’re going to vote for. Based on my policies, not on party. I’m a classical environmentalist, but I’m not going to outlaw your lawnmower.”
Another high-profile Republican candidate not in attendance, but running an energetic campaign is attorney and data analyst Thomas Cole, running for U.S. Congress 24th District.
Cole has challenged his opponent, Salud Carbajal, to debate on the issues: illegal immigration, girls’ private spaces, inflation, oil and gas production. Carbajal has declined, saying Cole’s views endanger the community. Cole calls the incumbent “chicken.” Cole is
calling for a face-to-face debate “anytime, anyplace.”
Additional candidates who spoke included: LeAnne Woolever (LUSD TA5), whose husband Tim was grilling up the (100 lbs) of chicken and tri-tip. Also from north county: Jerri Thiel (LUSD TA1), Zoraida Noratto-White (SM-BSD TA5) and Carol Redhead (SYRWCD). From south county: teacher and veteran Christy Lozano (SBCBOE TA2), Rich Foster (Goleta, Mayor), and Eric Gordon (Goleta City Council D4).
McGinnis made a tribute to the late Barbara Hurd, member of the Carpinteria Republican Club, who organized the Republican Labor Day picnic for 30 years, until her recent passing at the age of 96. “Last year we didn’t have it.”
This year the traditional event was brought back to life by the Santa Barbara Conservative Republican Club and organized by prominent local Republican Ed Fuller who quipped, “I’m happy to say that even though we had an overflow crowd — we didn’t run out of food!”
For a complete list and ballot endorsements for candidates and ballot issues, go to https://www.sbcrp.org/.