Rove: Kashkari Is Best 'to Lose to Jerry Brown'

Veteran Republican political strategist and Beltway insider Karl Rove told a gathering of Sacramento business leaders that Neel Kashkari would be the party’s best choice “to lose to Jerry Brown” in the November election, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Kashkari, like Rove a veteran of the George W. Bush administration, is running to unseat Brown, as is Assemblyman Tim Donnelly. Rove said that Donnelly’s political views could damage the party among Latinos.

Donnelly, who enjoys the support of the Tea Party, has been endorsed by celebrated Latina actress Maria Conchita Alonso. She lost her role in a San Francisco production of The Vagina Monologues as a result.

Rove did not offer Kashkari any formal endorsement, but said that Republicans would be “stupid not to” vote for him in the June 3 primary election.