Website promotion for San Diego GOP’s annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner fundraiser. (Image via sandiegorepublicans.org)
Three weeks ago, the executive director of the San Diego County Republican Party shared upbeat news about the group’s critical annual fund-raiser.
San Diego GOP 2025 budget and selected emails. (PDF)
“Planning for this year’s Lincoln-Reagan Dinner is going incredibly well,” Jacob Richards told Central Committee members via email. “And we’re on pace for a very impactful event!”
Others party members aren’t so positive.
Last Sunday, a GOP insider told Times of San Diego that “specific sponsors … have not and are unlikely to commit to a table” at the mid-June affair also being called “President Trump’s Golden Age Celebration Dinner.”
No-shows would include the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, the San Diego Police Officers Association and the San Diego Association of Realtors.
Advertisement
The insider, who asked not to be identified, said people who have donated as much as $20,000 to $50,000 in past years either have not been contacted or have not pledged.
“General entry” tickets go for $375 apiece.
Potential individual donors and the Realtors organization didn’t respond to requests for comment.
But a source familiar with police groups told me they weren’t aware of any law enforcement association taking part “now that [Assemblyman] Carl DeMaio has taken over” the local party. “They’re having a civil war over there.”
The result?
Advertisement
The dinner that funds party operations and salaries for a year won’t raise its usual $600,000 to $750,000, the insider told me.
And a San Diego GOP budget obtained by Times of San Diego is counting on bringing in only $320,000 from an event that historically costs around $250,000 to stage.
(Also disappointing: The featured speaker won’t be a governor or U.S. senator like Ted Cruz, Kristi Noem or Rand Paul as in past years. Instead, the keynoter will be Republican National Committee co-chair KC Crosbie. “Almost the entire Central Committee had to look up who the speaker was because nobody knows who it is,” an insider told me.)
But Whitsell also is touting an appearance by Scott Presler, called “the gay face of the MAGA movement” who takes credit for “swinging Pennsylvania to Trump.”
Advertisement
‘A powerful start’
The Lincoln-Reagan Dinner — set for June 14 at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina — has secured $354,000 in commitments and already collected $121,000, according to a May 8 email from executive director Richards.
“That’s a powerful start — but we’re not finished,” he wrote.
Only two days earlier, May 6, Central Committee member Brad Gerbel of Coronado emailed GOP leaders about the previous night’s Executive Committee meeting.
“The Chairwoman [Paula Whitsell] reported that the Party has received payment for only four tables [at the dinner] so far,” Gerbel wrote. “However, one Caucus Chair mentioned they have approximately $20,000 in checks at home, which, once deposited, should improve the current numbers. To date, the Party has made $25,000 in deposits to the Marriott.”
Gerbel, a former second vice chair of the San Diego GOP, reported that it was “stated that the Party currently has a six-figure balance in the bank. However, no clarification was given regarding how much of that amount consists of [Chula Vista Mayor John] McCann dollars in the Victory Fund [for his county supervisor campaign].
Advertisement
“Transparency on this point is critical, as those funds are not available to cover general operating expenses,” he wrote. “Without this disclosure, there is a risk of misinterpreting the Party’s actual financial health.”
Gerbel cited other concerns not being discussed, including “ongoing Republican recall efforts in East County,” referring to a bid to oust El Cajon Councilman Phil Ortiz, a Republican.
‘Real party issues’
Gerbel, a financial officer for Coronado-based University Blanket & Flag Corp., also sent email May 5 titled “Addressing Real Party Issues.”
“One recurring concern I continue to hear is that the donor community has lost trust in the Party,” he wrote. “I have heard this not once, but repeatedly throughout this year.”
He said Victory Fund donors have “expressed reluctance to contribute due to concerns about the Party’s financial health. Their concerns need to be addressed.”
Advertisement
Another issue important to Gerbel: the party’s lack of “Directors and Officers Insurance.”
San Diego County Republican Party chair Paula Whitsell in January 2024. (File photo by Ken Stone/Times of San Diego)
In an April 15 email, Gerbel wrote: “Given our current financial state, it is unlikely that sufficient funds would be available to protect members in the event of a lawsuit. Without D&O insurance, individual members may face personal liability.”
The next day, staffer Richards confirmed via email that that the party’s insurance for directors and officers had lapsed.
“We became aware of this issue when we learned that our prior administration had not paid the premium for the policy,” he wrote. “The annual insurance premium of approximately $12,000 demands due consideration, especially given the precarious financial condition in which we found the party when we assumed the leadership in December.”
Richards said the local party’s cash position “was and remains well below our longstanding policy target, a circumstance we do not expect to remediate until after our Lincoln-Reagan Dinner fundraiser.”
But he noted that the party had no D&O coverage until 2021.
Advertisement
“Until then it was the prevailing view among leadership that D&O insurance was not necessary. Be assured that no decision on the matter will be taken without briefing and soliciting the views of the Executive Committee after the Lincoln Reagan dinner,” Richards wrote.
Last Sunday, Gerbel confirmed that he had sent the quoted emails to members of the Central Committee.
“I am disappointed that they were shared with the media,” he said in response to my email query. “I am not going to make any further comments.”
According to the GOP’s undated party budget, 2025’s expected income was $837,200 with total expenses $886,200 — a shortfall of $49,000.
Advertisement
Federal Election Commission records for Jan. 1 through April 30 show that the Republican Party of San Diego County had raised $162,811.99 and spent $144,345.58.
Cash on hand in late April: $52,336.53.
In late February, chair Whitsell reported “Good News!” — that some modest artifice yielded lower rent at the party’s Mission Valley offices at 3435 Camino del Rio South, Unit 114.
“As you may know, our prior lease was for $5,000 per month, the email said. “Our landlord had been insisting on an increase to $6,000, which was more than we were prepared to pay.
“In response we took a hardline position and made preparations to vacate the premises on March 1. The big clue to the landlord that we were serious came when we started moving our packed boxes off premises, to go into storage. That did the trick and negotiations resumed.”
Advertisement
As a result, Whitsell said, “No rent payment will be due for the month of March and thereafter will be $4,250, a 15% reduction off the old rate. In addition, to take pressure off our cash flow while we recover from election season, our actual monthly payments for the remainder of 2025 will only be $3,150.”
The difference would be deferred until 2026, “with catch-up payments due in January and February,” she said. The savings would “enable us to come in under budget on that item for the remainder of the year.”
‘Landlord got the message’
The note to Central Committee members concluded: “Much thanks to all of the Members, staff and volunteers who helped pack and move boxes. It wasn’t a fire drill — the landlord got the message and we were able to do a bit of housecleaning in the process.”
However, my insider source told me this week that the party was still paying office rent of $4,250 a month.
“If the Party is indeed paying that,” the insider said, “it is far more than what was disclosed to the Central Committee and exceeds what was approved in the budget and what the Chairwoman disclosed to the Executive Committee.”
Advertisement
Paula Whitsell, in her second stint as party chair, hasn’t responded to my requests for comment. Neither has executive director Richards.
On May 21, when Richards announced Crosbie as speaker (“a national leader in the conservative movement and a powerful voice for the grassroots”), his email said the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner was “shaping up to be a very successful event.”
“Thanks to your support,” he wrote, “we’ve already raised over $200,000 toward our fundraising goal, putting us well on track to surpass last year’s numbers and fuel key efforts to win elections across San Diego County.”
He added: “If you haven’t secured your table or ticket, now’s the time! We are selling out fast! Thank you for standing with us as we grow the movement and get ready to flip seats in 2026.”
His May 8 email also was encouraging.
Advertisement
“Let’s keep up the pace and make this the most successful Lincoln-Reagan Dinner yet,” he wrote. “Together, we’re showing that San Diego is red, ready and rising.”
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego Police responded to a barricaded individual in the Mission Valley area Thursday afternoon, prompting a heavy law enforcement presence.
The Nexstar Media video above details resources for crime victims
The department confirmed around 1 p.m. that officers were on scene in the 1400 block of Hotel Circle North, and are working to safely resolve the situation. Authorities asked the public to avoid the area and allow officers the space needed to conduct their operations.
Police described the incident as a domestic violence restraining order violation. At this time, it’s unknown if the person is armed.
No injuries have been reported.
The suspect was taken into custody within an hour.
Advertisement
Further details about the barricaded person were not immediately released. Police say updates will be shared as more information becomes available.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
1 — The number of plate appearances for Campusano while in the majors between June 1 and June 13 and the one at-bat resulted in a weak, pinch-hit groundout against a position player (Kike Hernandez) on the mound in mop-up duty. Campusano was recalled to the majors four times in 2025 but did not get a real opportunity get settled after he went 0-for-6 with four walks and a strikeout in three straight starts as a DH in early May. Of course, hitting .227/.281/.361 with eight homers over 299 plate appearances after getting the first real chance to start in 2024 likely informed how the Padres viewed his opportunity in 2025.
TRENDING
Down — Called up a final time on the last day of the regular season, Campusano balked at the idea that the season did not go the way he wanted. “I had a great season,” he said as he and his teammates packed for the NL Wild Card Series in Chicago. And he did … for Triple-A El Paso. He hit more home runs than ever (25), drove in more runs (95) and finished with a career-high 1.036 OPS, tops among all qualifying Triple-A hitters. The disappointment inferred in the question posed to Campusano was that he was not able to impact the big-league team in any way in 2025, which began with the team choosing to bring in a 40-year-old Yuli Gurriel a chance on the opening day roster over a homegrown product. Once billed as the catcher of the future, Campusno did not catch a single game in the majors, nor did he get any hits, although the opportunity to play was sporadic after getting three straight starts as a DH in early May (see stat to note). The Padres even lost back-up catcher Elias Díaz to an oblique injury over the final weekend of the regular season, but Campusano — who played out the string for a Triple-A El Paso team that did not make the playoffs rather than participate in the majors as a September call-up — was added to the postseason roster more as a right-handed bat than a third catcher (Martín Maldonado was also re-added to the team for the playoffs as the defensive back-up to Freddy Fermin). Campusano, of course, was not asked to help the team in either capacity before the Padres were eliminated in three games.
2026 OUTLOOK
Campusano is finally out of minor league options this year, so the Padres will either have to carry him on the roster, trade him or expose him to waivers. He has fans in the organization, but two big-league staffs headed by Bob Melvin and Mike Shildt seemingly lost faith in his ability to catch a game and all the responsibilities that come with that. It remains to be seen what impact the arrival of robo umps will have on how new manager Craig Stammen views Campusano’s ability behind the plate, but he’s been a potent minor league hitter who has yet to truly get on track in the majors beyond the second half of 2023 (.875 OPS, 6 HRs). Campusano has dabbled at first base in recent years in the minors (12 starts total), so perhaps he settles into a role as a second catcher/right-handed DH/first base option to start 2026.
Luis Campusano #15 of the San Diego Padres and Nick Pivetta #27 walk to the dugout during a practice before the Wildcard series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Sept. 29, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
SAN DIEGO, CA — Two San Diego County eateries were named among the most beautiful restaurants that opened last year in the country.
Carlsbad-based Lilo was ranked No. 4 and La Jolla-based Lucien was ranked No. 9 on Robb Report’s list of the most beautiful new restaurants in the U.S. for 2025.
Lilo, which opened in April, features a multi-course tasting menu served around a 24-seat chef’s counter.
The restaurant, co-owned by Chef Eric Bost and John Resnick, earned a Michelin star just months after opening its doors. The eatery was also the only one in San Diego to land on The New York Times list of the 50 best restaurants in America.
Advertisement
Lucien, which opened in July, also offers a chef’s tasting menu, with more than a dozen courses. The 30-seat restaurant, is owned and helmed by Northern California native Chef Elijah Arizmendi, along with partners Brian Hung and Melissa Lang.
“I’m very grateful for the recognition from Robb Report,” Arizmendi told Patch. “Lucien is deeply personal to me, and the space was designed as an extension of my philosophy — one centered on intention, hospitality and the joy of sharing something meaningful to others.”
The list spotlights 21 restaurants in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and other cities across the country. View the full report here.
