BURLINGAME, California — GOP frontrunner Donald Trump looks like the early favorite ahead of the California GOP primary election on June 7th, according to the buzz at the California GOP Convention in Burlingame, California.
“If I were going to predict things, I think California will be the deciding final factor, the icing on the cake for Trump to get the nomination,” Political Director of the Monterey County GOP, Brandon Gesicki, told Breitbart News. He said, for a political consultant, this election has been historic and entertaining.
He also said neither former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s endorsement of Ohio Gov. John Kasich nor Carly Fiorina, who ran against Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) in 2010 and who joined Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) as his vice president, would impact the race.
“I think the election is already on a trajectory that it’s over, because there’s only one person that can get enough delegates to win. Nobody else can. I think the Cruz campaign is going to have its last hurrah this weekend and then Tuesday” in Indiana, he explained to Breitbart News.
On Schwarzenegger’s endorsement, Gesicki said, “I don’t think it’s going to hurt that much,” but added, “if you look at the polling numbers, it looks like Donald Trump is going to do very well in California.”
Nan Lesnick, the past Chair of the Monterey County Republican Party, also told Breitbart News Trump is growing stronger and stronger and that it may be too late for the Cruz-Carly combination to have any weight with California voters.
“Trump is strong, getting stronger,” she said. “People don’t necessarily have a reason to think they will be represented by the Cruz-Carly combination. It was a political move for her to join up with him on both parts,” Lesnick stated. She added that she thinks people view it as “politics as usual.”
She also suggested Fiorina’s previous campaign experience in California wouldn’t help Cruz’s ground game. “It would be nice if I can say yes, but I have to say no I don’t think so.”
“I think that it’s too little too late and she was a candidate herself. I really don’t know the answer to that,” she added.
Breitbart News asked if Schwarzenegger’s endorsement of Kasich would have any impact on the election. “None whatsoever. I don’t think people even know what Arnold did,” she responded.
Annette De Modena of Humboldt County appeared to agree with Lesnick about Schwarzenegger, saying his support has “an ice cube’s chance in you know where” to impact the election. However, De Modena suggested selecting Fiorina was a favorable move for Cruz. “I think his choice is wise because Carly is an extremely strong leader and she looks at things in a totally different way and brings great insights and maturity to the job.”
Lesnick explained that like most of the country, Trump’s outsider appeal will help him in California.
“I think they’re leaning Trump because as we were just talking about around this table, when people elected Republicans and sent them to D.C. with promises that they would represent them, they weren’t represented,” Lesnick said about California voters. “I think that gives Trump a lot of ground.”
Lesnick said national security and jobs are top priorities in California, as well as the guest worker issue.
“We’ve got the guest worker issue and we need a solution to that,” she told Breitbart News.
“Ag and tourism are the engine that run that county,” she said of Monterey County, saying the people who are in agriculture are worried about the work force because more seasonal workers are needed during harvest. “But along with that issue comes a concern about security.”
“Jobs and security, I think very much in this area are tied to one another,” she added.
Breitbart News learned about 600 tickets for the banquet sold out for both Trump’s and Cruz’s speeches. Trump sold out rapidly. At last check, Kasich’s ticket count was near 500.