Has a Republican reckoning arrived? Two GOP candidates in California may hold the answer

In the two statewide races in which California Republicans have the greatest hope of victory, the candidates share a common characteristic: They both oppose the central tenets of the modern Republican Party.

Plainly stated, the most promising Republican candidates in California are running against Republicanism itself.

Lanhee Chen and Nathan Hochman, the Republican candidates for state controller and attorney general, respectively, have both publicly stated that they never voted for Donald Trump and always supported women’s reproductive rights.

Both candidates conveniently made these pronouncements after securing the GOP nomination, ensuring that the admissions wouldn’t harm them among Republican primary voters. But now, running against Republicanism will presumably make them more palatable to the independent and Democratic voters they need to win in California.

Regardless of the veracity or timing of these claims, it’s significant that the two most viable statewide Republican candidates are distancing themselves from the two most defining characteristics of Trump Republicanism: They are neither pro-Trump nor pro-life.

A majority of California Republican voters still remain supporters of Donald Trump. Most still believe the years of lies promulgated by the party’s extensive propaganda machine, including, most importantly, that the 2020 election was stolen despite all evidence to the contrary.

Chen’s and Hochman’s positions on whether the election was stolen from Trump have yet to be made public but are certain to be definitive for their campaigns. Their positions on the validity of Joe Biden’s election win will leave no doubt as to whether each candidate will pledge fealty to a political party or, as their oath of office would dictate, to our state and national constitutions.

The divide in the Republican Party between truth and lies is no small difference of opinion. Purity for most in today’s GOP is determined by how much Republicans are willing to lie to themselves and others.

The denial of truth has never been a sustainable long-term strategy, and it would appear it may have reached its limits in California, a state long recognized for starting political trends.

Chen’s and Hochman’s candidacies may represent a notable test of challenging the lie.

Blue-state Republicans like Govs. Larry Hogan (Maryland), Charlie Baker (Massachusetts) and Phil Scott (Vermont) have successfully espoused strong anti-Trump sentiments while also being among the country’s most popular politicians.

But Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, the lone Republicans serving on the House committee investing the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, have been ostracized from the party for challenging Trump’s lies.

Their courage and those of others raise relevant questions: Has a Republican reckoning arrived?

Chen and Hochman are betting Democrats and no-party-preference voters will view them as different kinds of Republicans, independent and competent enough to represent a progressive state, while simultaneously convincing the MAGA crowd that they have no other choice but to lay down their pitchforks and red hats and vote for them as classical conservatives in the Bush, Romney and McCain mold.

Chen and Hochman may finally be the canaries in the proverbial coal mine, holding the promise of leading the GOP base beyond Trumpism and toward constructive opposition with an alternative policy framework that suits modern-day California.

The devolution of the California Republican Party has been decades in the making, and it will take at least that long if it is to return to relevancy. These two candidates offer a glimpse into what a post-Trump party may look like someday in the future.

The long road to redemption begins with acknowledging failures. As small a step as it is, for the first time in recent memory, leading California Republicans have finally taken one forward.

This story was originally published July 29, 2022 at 10:20 AM with the headline "Has a Republican reckoning arrived? Two GOP candidates in California may hold the answer."