Republican Voters Are Disappearing From California-- And So Are GOP Elected Officials

Duke Cunningham moved to a gated religious community in Arkansas after he was released from prison

Earlier this evening I mentioned how so many of the villains among California Republicans who inspired me to start this blog were no longer in Congress. Duke Cunningham went to prison but many of the other crooks, like John Doolittle and Jerry Lewis were forced nudged into retirement. A few, like Dick Pombo and Jim Rogan, were defeated at the polls. Once again, since we started DWT in 2004 these are the Republicans, who, for one reason or another, are no longer serving in Congress:

• Wally Herger
• Doug Ose
• Dan Lungren
• John Doolittle
• Dick Pombo
• George Radanovich
• Bill Thomas
• Elton Gallegly
• Buck McKeon
• David Dreier
• Jerry Lewis
• Gary Miller
• Mary Bono
• Christopher Cox
• Duke Cunningham
• Duncan Hunter

The only ones still felt from back them are Darrell Issa, Dana Rohrabacher, Ken Calvert, Ed Royce and Devin Nunes. Issa, Calvert and Royce were certainly no less corrupt than the Culture of Corruption All Stars (Lewis, Doolittle, Pombo, McKeon, Cunningham and Hunter)-- just luckier and a tiny bit more cautious when it counted. But, according to a Sacramento Bee story by Phillip Reese yesterday, they may have been gone from Congress by now anyway, even if they weren't brigands-in-suits-and-ties. In just the last 4 years 8% of the GOP evaporated-- 400,000 fewer Republicanos in the Golden State. The ones who die or move to Idaho or Texas aren't being replaced by newer models. The Democratic Party stayed stable and more voters registered as unaffiliated than ever, part of a national trend.

About 4.7 million California voters are registered as Republicans, down from 5.1 million at this point in 2012. Republicans now make up  about 27.6 percent of the electorate, down from 30.4 percent four years prior. No county in the state now has a majority of its electorate registered as Republicans.

By comparison, about 7.44 million Californians are registered as Democrats, a very slight increase from 2012. Democrats are 43.1 percent of the electorate, down slightly from 43.4 percent as the party did not grow as fast as the population.

The number of Californians registering as independent grew fast: about 500,000 more voters are unaffiliated today than in 2012. With 24 percent of the electorate, the number claiming "no party preference" are on pace to surpass the number of Republicans within two or three years.

Even with the most breathtakingly incompetent DCCC anyone can remember, there is a chance that another couple of Republican congressmen can be eliminated this cycle. A competent DCCC would rid the state of these 4 Republicans immediately


• Jeff Denham in CA-10, which Obama won twice
• David Valadao in CA-21, which Obama won twice by BIG margins
• Steve Knight in CA-25, which Obama won once and which now boasts a Democratic registration edge for the first time
• Darrell Issa in CA-48, which Obama won once

The DCCC is hated by the local Democratic parties for screwing up the last 4 election cycles and for preparing to screw up 2016 as well. Just one winnable Republican-held seat is on their Red-to-Blue list (CA-10) and it is only listed as a low priority "emerging race." Worse yet, their interference in CA-25 and CA-21 may cost the blue team both blue districts.

This cycle, Blue America is backing 3 progressive challengers in California, Lou Vince (CA-25), Nanette Barragan (CA-44) and Bao Nguyen (CA-46). The DCC has been working furiously to sabotage Lou Vince's campaign and are ignoring the primaries involving Nanette and Bao. Nanette was part of tonight's opening night of the Progressive Summit. Please check out her conversation with Marianne Williamson here. And if you'd like to lend these candidates a hand, you can do it by tapping the thermometer below: