California GOP ramps up search for Senate candidates

California Republicans are ramping up efforts to land a few candidates to run take a long shot at retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer’s (D-Calif.) seat, hoping the state’s unusual primary system might help them squeeze through to a general election. 

{mosads}Former California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Becarro has formed an exploratory committee for the seat, while Republicans continue to push former Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) to jump into the race as well.

“Our country — and our state — is in serious need of new leadership,” Del Beccaro said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. “Even though California has been the leader in the number of children living in poverty, government handouts and the victim of do-nothing politicians, our state can be prosperous with the right person in Washington. I believe we can and will turn our country around once and for all.”

California leans heavily Democratic, especially in presidential years, and even Del Beccaro admitted GOP candidates start off at a disadvantage.

“Everyone is clear-eyed about the fact that it would be a tough, uphill climb,” he said.

Some California Republicans are also seeking to get Dreier into the race. The former House Rules Committee chairman is a strong fundraiser and has a more socially moderate voting record that could make him more popular than the average Republican in a statewide race.

Dreier spokesman Mark Harmsen told the Sacramento Bee that “a wide variety of people (are) urging him to look seriously at a Senate run.”

But California’s unusual primary system makes it hard to predict how races will play out. The top two candidates advange through the primary regardless of party, meaning if Democrats fracture badly enough between multiple candidates there’s an outside chance a pair of Republicans could advance to the general election.

That seems very unlikely to happen at this point, however.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris (D) is already in the race and has been rapidly locking down endorsements as she seeks to scare off serious opponents in both parties.

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) is also considering a bid, though he’s taken a deliberate approach to making a decision about whether or not to run for the seat, and a half-dozen other Democratic office-holders are considering runs, though none look eager to take on Harris.

California state Assemblyman Rocky Chavez (R) has also created an exploratory committee for a run.