California hasn’t elected a Republican to statewide office since 2006, but Lanhee Chen thinks this could be the year one of the country’s bluest states shows red.
Chen, 43, aspires to be the state’s controller, de facto chief financial officer. He’s challenging incumbent Betty Yee, a Democrat.
The first round of voting in the California primary system will take place in June, and the general election, in which Chen and Yi will face off, will take place in November. The state has not elected a Republican Comptroller since the 1970s.
Although this is his first run for public office, Chen, a professor at Stanford University, is no stranger to political struggle. He was policy director for Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaign and served in the administration of President George W. Bush.
In the interview, he spoke about why he is running, why he thinks he can win, and about his party’s last two presidential flag bearers. Here are edited excerpts from our conversation.
Why run for controller instead of going big and running for governor or starting a local job on the school board or city council?
It’s an extremely valuable platform for those who want to make a difference in the way the government runs its business – the ability to check any agency, you can really go in there and make things right. And I’m talking about diagnosing the problems our state is facing. And for me, the problems that the state faces are primarily of a fiscal nature. So this office for me is great for what I want to do and I think we can fix things even if it’s not the most glamorous office.
What are the biggest challenges California faces?
The cost of living is high – no one can afford a house. And if they can, they save up for it for decades. The problem of homelessness, which is related to the quality of life and the environment in general, has worsened even during the time that I have lived there since returning home in 2013. Public safety concerns are very real, and they have become much more public with the mass robberies of the summer.
California Republicans have historically won in moments of unrest. But can you still count on political backlash in these polarized times when people tend to stick to their party no matter the issue?
It was something that had been building for a long time. If you had asked me the same question two or four years ago, perhaps the answer would have been no. I think now the situation has become so acute. Look how many revocable elections we have, whether it’s for governor or the school board and district attorney in San Francisco. The level of reaction to what we see goes beyond the party, beyond the ideology – it’s about people’s experiences. I think the anger, this frustration is palpable. I hear it from the Democrats, I hear it from the Independents and from the Republicans. So that makes me think that, yes, it could transcend the partisan polarization that we’ve seen.
How do you diagnose your party’s problems in California? Why can’t Republicans even compete across the state?
Party leadership in California has generally been focused on winning targeted races to the state legislature and to Congress. You can’t blame them for that rationale, but the problem is that you don’t have a nationwide voter contact infrastructure. This is number 1.
#2: There were no candidates able to articulate and articulate the kind of message and vision that appeals to Californians in general.
Let’s say you’re campaigning at a farmers’ market in, say, Santa Barbara or Monterey, and a voter comes up to you and seems to like you. But they are wary of voting for Trump’s party. What will you tell them?
I think it’s very important to understand where I come from and why I think it’s important to have someone with a different party orientation than the rest of the people in the state government. So start with the notion that checks and balances are important. But then I move on to talking about the Republican Party that I know and the Republican Party that I think we can build again based on ideas like responsibility and accountability. At some point, we will have to move away from individuals, and I don’t know when that will come.
So why not just work as an independent?
From a practical point of view, if you are not worth several billion dollars, you will not be able to create the necessary base. But there is a more important point. I think sincerity matters a lot in politics, and I’ve been a Republican all my life. I’ve never been registered as someone else and I think it’s important to be yourself.
As liberal as it is, California has millions of dedicated Trump supporters. How do you balance appealing to the political center without alienating the people of MAGA?
What Governor Glenn Youngkin has done successfully in Virginia: You have focused on the issues of the state and solved the problems that are right in front of us. If you don’t focus on them, you risk not only not getting the job done, but also talking about things that are not relevant to the daily lives of people in your state.
Let’s say you get two phone calls: the first is from Mitt Romney and the second is from Donald Trump. Both want to come to California for your campaign. What will you tell them?
I’d just say I’m doing my thing. Now I have to say this: obviously I have a lot of respect and admiration for Mitt Romney. There are very few things I wouldn’t do for him.
Jonathan Martin is National Political Correspondent for The New York Times.
Other news
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
Weather warning: Snow expected through Wednesday in highlands over large swathes of Central California, including Yosemite Valley as well as Vine.
Camping deaths: The phone records of a family who died while walking along the Merced River last summer show texts and calls pleading for help. The Associated Press reports.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Neighborhood Trouble: A huge black bear known as Tank Hank has broken into at least 28 homes. looking for food in South Lake Tahoe.
Missing Women: The Yurok tribe declared a state of emergency after several Indigenous women were killed or went missing on the coast of Northern California. It is reported by the Associated Press.
What you get
Homes worth $1.8 million in California, Maine and New Mexico.
Where are we going
Today’s travel tip comes from Al Evers, who recommends Reinhard Redwood Regional Park in the bay area:
“A hidden redwood forest lies off Redwood Road just a few miles from downtown Oakland along the ridge. The peaceful woodland groves offer little evidence of the park’s turbulent past—the area saw extensive logging in the mid-1800s to supply building materials for the San Francisco Bay Area. The era of logging is long gone, and the felled ones have been replaced by a majestic forest of 150-foot coastal redwoods.”
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Send your suggestions to [email protected]. We will report more in future editions of the newsletter.
What do we read
A new book about the history of PayPal and the entrepreneurs who shaped Silicon Valley.
And before you leave, good news
The waterfall in Yosemite National Park is expected to turn into a ribbon of bright fiery orange for a few minutes at sunset this week.
With sufficient rainfall and clear skies, Horsetail Falls, which cascades down the east side of El Capitan, can become a “fire fall” for a few weeks each year in late February.
The angle of light during sunset can make a stream of water “glow and look like it’s on fire.” a spokesperson for the park said.