Candidate hopes to break GOP’s California losing streak

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Of their quest to win again statewide workplace in deep-blue California, Republicans have set their sights — and cash — on controller candidate Lanhee Chen.

The race often attracts little consideration in comparison with different statewide places of work, however this 12 months, with out an incumbent within the working, contributions to Chen and Democratic candidate Malia Cohen have far outpaced the final election cycle.

Chen, a former coverage adviser to Mitt Romney’s presidential marketing campaign, has crafted himself as an impartial supervisor who can deliver order to the state’s funds. Cohen, who serves on a state tax board, says her previous position main the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ price range and finance committee makes her uniquely certified for the job.

Chen has defied the trail of current Republican candidates within the closely Democratic state. He is raised extra money than Cohen and his fellow Republicans looking for state workplace. He received the June major towards 4 Democrats who break up their occasion’s vote.

That is led to optimism he may assist his occasion break its California drought, however Chen faces sturdy headwinds. California hasn’t elected a Republican statewide since 2006 and there are practically twice as many registered Democrats.

“It is an uphill battle, it doesn’t matter what,” stated Pete Peterson, who ran as a Republican for secretary of state in 2014 and now serves as dean of Pepperdine College’s College of Public Coverage. He received 46% of the vote that 12 months, the closest Republicans have come to victory in 16 years.

The controller serves as California’s fiscal watchdog, with the ability to disburse state funds and audit authorities companies. In addition they serve on greater than 70 boards and commissions, together with one which incentivizes renewable power manufacturing and one other that provides bonds to nonprofit faculties.

The candidates are vying to succeed Democrat Betty Yee, who’s been within the job since 2015 and beforehand served on the state Board of Equalization, which administers tax and price applications. Cohen, the board’s chair, hopes to comply with that very same path to the job.

Chen has by no means held elected workplace, one thing he says makes him much less beholden to any explicit occasion, although he is suggested a number of GOP campaigns. He was appointed by former Democratic President Barack Obama to a board overseeing social safety and is a public coverage fellow, now on depart, at Stanford College’s Hoover Establishment.

California’s excessive price of dwelling, public training, homelessness, public security, fuel taxes and fraud on the state’s unemployment company are all throughout the realm of points a controller may deal with, Chen stated.

“All of those challenges in some methods might be affected positively by a controller who will give attention to bringing better transparency, better accountability to how our state spends taxpayer {dollars},” Chen stated.

Cohen, in the meantime, sees a possibility to increase the position of controller by in search of patterns revealed in company audits and pushing for options to forestall issues from occurring once more.

Cohen stated she desires to be “on the group that’s going to be fixing the gaps.”

Each pointed to the greater than $20 billion of fraudulent unemployment advantages California gave to criminals as proof of how the state’s cash may very well be higher managed.

Chen got here out on prime within the June major, although the Democrats collectively received extra votes. Republicans are likely to do higher in major races in comparison with the overall election, stated Mindy Romero, director of the College of Southern California’s Heart for Inclusive Democracy. Profitable the first in a divided area nonetheless has its advantages.

“It provides extra consideration to the Republican candidate, raises his profile, and perhaps he may need a job within the occasion going ahead,” she stated.

By the tip of the September deadline to report marketing campaign contributions, Chen had raised practically $1.4 million greater than Cohen for the 12 months.

Chen, who should attempt to maintain supporters of former President Donald Trump on his facet whereas broadening his enchantment, waited till after the first to say he by no means voted for Trump.

In an advert, Cohen hyperlinks Chen to “Trump Republicans” pushing to limit abortion entry. Cohen marketing campaign spokesman Joe Armenta advised a Republican controller may “misappropriate funds devoted to reproductive well being companies.”

However Chen stated he helps abortion entry, and marketing campaign supervisor Matt Ciepielowski stated Chen wouldn’t have the ability or inclination to limit abortion entry.

Chen’s marketing campaign, in the meantime, has launched a web-based advert calling into query Cohen’s monetary administration expertise. It references reporting by the Los Angeles Instances that discovered a apartment Cohen bought in 2006 was foreclosed on and her social media consulting agency had its license suspended for tax points.

Cohen defended herself towards the Chen marketing campaign’s criticism of her monetary background, saying the enterprise license situation was tied to a change of deal with and was resolved.

“Some could attempt to exploit my expertise with foreclosures through the monetary disaster for political acquire, however as I stated in 2010, it is why I ran for workplace,” she tweeted after the Instances article printed. “I perceive the ache that hundreds of thousands of Californians underwent and I’ve devoted my profession to making sure it by no means occurs once more.”

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Sophie Austin is a corps member for the Related Press/Report for America Statehouse Information Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points. Observe her on Twitter.