February 24, 2019 - 11:33 AM
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Latest on the California Republican Party convention (all times local):
11:30 a.m.
The California Republican Party has selected party organizer Jessica Patterson as its new chair.
Patterson won support Sunday from a majority of more than 1,200 party delegates to cap off a three-day convention.
She bested former state Assemblyman Travis Allen and party activist Steve Frank.
Patterson will now be tasked with leading the party in the 2020 election following devastating losses last November. She crafted herself as a candidate with strong ties to party donors and promised to carry the party's message into new corners of the state. She says she wants to focus on issues specific to California rather than nationalizing Republican campaigns.
Her opponents had argued for a fuller embrace of President Donald Trump.
Patterson previously led a candidate training and recruitment program.
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10 a.m.
The California Republican Party is meeting to choose a new chair to lead it into the 2020 election.
More than 1,500 Republicans have gathered in Sacramento this weekend for a three-day convention following stinging losses in 2018. The party holds less than a quarter of state legislative seats and just seven of 53 U.S. House seats.
Delegates are choosing Sunday between three chair candidates. They are Jessica Patterson, a party organizer; Travis Allen, a former state lawmaker; and Steve Frank, a longtime activist.
Allen says engaging the GOP's grassroots and strongly supporting President Donald Trump are keys to the party's success.
Patterson says she is best poised to raise money and bring the party's message to new voters.
Frank says his long involvement with the party is an asset.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019