Alliance shows GOP is committed to increasing diversity in Republican Party

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Trailblazers, the only statewide program designed to recruit, train and elect Republicans to state legislative office, today announced it has forged a partnership with GROW Elect, an organization dedicated to electing more Republican Latino candidates to local, nonpartisan offices, to work together to recruit, train and elect Latino Republican candidates to Assembly and Senate offices. The announcement is the most important sign the GOP has a renewed focus to increase the diversity of the Republican Party, build upon its electoral successes at the local level and ensure Republican candidates for elected office reflect the changing demographic in California.

“Given our mission and goal to elect more Republicans to the state Assembly and Senate, this is a natural partnership that will ensure we are collaborating, aligning efforts, allocating resources strategically and most importantly, electing more Republicans,” California Trailblazers Chairman of the Board Jeff Randle said.

GROW Elect seeks to recruit, endorse, train and fund Latino Republican candidates for local, nonpartisan public office. GROW Elect has helped elect more than 30 Latinos at the local level, and is supporting almost two dozen Latino Republicans for local office in this November’s elections across the state. Through support and collaboration, California Trailblazers will work with GROW Elect to expand the scope of its recruitment and candidate training to reflect the full diversity of California.

Earlier this year, GROW Elect announced that Ruben Barrales, a national leader who has been named three times as one of America’s 100 most influential Hispanics, has been hired as the new CEO. The son of Mexican immigrants, Barrales is bilingual in Spanish and English. Barrales was the first Latino to be elected to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors in 1992. In addition, Barrales served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs in the White House for President George W. Bush. He has also been President/CEO of Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network, and President/CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“Ruben Barrales is a true leader and brings tremendous leadership and vision to our critical effort to elect more Latino Republicans. I look forward to working with him and the entire GROW Elect team to recruit, train and elect more Republicans to state legislative office,” Randle said.

To increase the Republican share of Latino votes, both groups understand that the party must offer Latino voters a choice. Republicans must provide voters an optimistic vision for the future from a voice and leader within their community.

“Effective Latino outreach is the greatest challenge for the Republican Party today. We need to give Latinos the opportunity to vote for a Republican candidate who is from their neighborhood and understands their values. It’s important to have GOP messengers from these communities offering an alternative to Democratic rule in the state legislature. I’m pleased to work with California Trailblazers to build on their success and elect more Republicans to state legislative office,” said Barrales.

“I’m eager to work with Ruben, and other leaders with GROW Elect, to find candidates who can run and help Republicans take back seats in the legislature,” California Trailblazers Board Member Mario Rodriguez, said. “We are building an infrastructure to expand our engagement in the Latino community now and for the future,” Rodriguez said.

Working together, both organizations believe the Republican Party can increase its share of the Latino vote and build a stronger coalition to elect more Republicans to office.

California Trailblazers CEO Jessica Millan Patterson and members of its Board of Directors, including Mario Rodriguez, who will focus on Latino recruitment, will work directly with GROW Elect to identify Republican Latino candidates from across the state who have the values and vision to run for elected office, win and help bring back the Republican Party.

“This relationship should serve as a sign that the Republican Party recognizes the challenges it faces, especially within the Latino community, and is committed to the long-term, sustained engagement effort to grow the party,” California Trailblazers CEO Jessica Millan Patterson said.

California Trailblazers aims to recruit and train Republican candidates who reflect California’s diverse population. The program is modeled after the National Republican Congressional Committee’s successful Young Guns program.  For more information, please visit
www.catrailblazers.com