CA GOP Adopts 2019 Platform As 2023 Platform

ANAHEIM, CA — Delegates to the California Republican Party Fall Convention in Anaheim voted overwhelmingly Sunday to adopt the party's 2019 platform as its 2023 platform.

The platform "covers all the main principles which the party believes," Orange County Republican Party Chairman Fred Whitaker told City News Service shortly after the delegates voted by a margin of 78.6%-21.4% in favor of the Platform Committee report.

"My volunteers are the ones who phone and walk precincts (and) care deeply about the issues in the platform," Whitaker said. "The best way to be unified and not have a fight at this convention -- which will take away from the great fact that we had four presidential candidates -- was to simply readopt the existing platform so that our volunteers can feel good about their party and what they do."

The platform supports:
-- "choice and excellence in education for all Californians"
-- "the safety and well-being of all California residents, including freedom of choice for health care"
-- "economic policies that promote economic growth and innovation, leading to increased affordability"
-- "a reformed system of taxation that maintains and improves infrastructure and public safety while reducing the burden on working families, homeowners and older Californians"
-- "favorable environmental policies that support California's farmers and ranchers"
-- "election integrity and ethical government."

Whitaker was among the supporters of adopting the 2019 platform instead of a revised platform in an attempt to keep the party united.

Adopting the 2019 platform this year "makes a huge difference to your volunteer base," he said.

"They go out and work for the party and work for candidates because they believe in issues -- whether it's the Second Amendment, right to life, Prop. 13, crime, you name it," Whitaker said. "Our volunteers are motivated by issues. It keeps our volunteers united."

Four 2024 presidential candidates spoke at the weekend convention, which was held at the Anaheim Marriott: former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report.