There are now two Republicans running for governor in California after former Sacramento Rep. Doug Ose dropped out Monday. And if state party Chairman Jim Brulte had his way, there would be only one.
Ose ended his campaign after less than two months because of problems raising money, saying, "There's no money in the Republican donor community." He estimated that he has raised between $150,000 and $170,000. Democrat Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom leads all candidates in the fundraising race -- and the polls -- with $19.5 million cash on hand.
"People who had given $25,000 in the past are only giving $1,000," Ose said Monday. "They're beat down. They don't see the same path forward as I do. And if I don't have the money to get my message out, it doesn't make sense to go ahead."
Ose finished last among the seven major candidates in a January survey by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California, with support from only 3 percent of likely voters. Newsom led the poll with 23 percent and was followed by former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa with 21 percent.
Ose finished behind fellow Republican Assemblyman Travis Allen, R-Huntington Beach, who had 8 percent, and John Cox, a GOP businessman from Rancho Santa Fe (San Diego County), who had 7 percent.
Roughly 40 percent of the votes in the June 5 primary are expected to be cast for Republicans, according to Paul Mitchell, vice president of Political Data, which provides voter information to campaigns and pollsters in both parties. About 60 percent are expected to be cast for Democrats.
Brulte worries that if two Republicans are in the race, they are likely to split the vote. That would make it more likely that two Democrats would win the top two spots in the primary and advance to the general election in November.
"I would prefer to see one (Republican) candidate in the primary," Brulte said Monday after Ose dropped out. "If that happens, then we are in the general election."
Brulte acknowledged Ose's complaint that GOP donors are not as forthcoming with contributions as they have been in the past.
"Donors are waiting to see what happens," Brulte said. The deadline to file papers to run for a state office is March 9.
Ose's former opponents haven't been raking in cash, either.
Cox has raised more than $3.5 million for his campaign, but $3 million of it came out of the wealthy businessman's own pocket. Allen was in much worse shape. Though he raised $447,000 in contributions in 2017, he had only $135,534 cash on hand at the close of the campaign finance reporting period on Dec. 31. That doesn't include $342,000 in unpaid bills he reported, leaving his campaign deep in the red.
Ose, a wealthy real estate developer, said in January that he would not be self-funding his campaign, saying, "If you do that, you get branded as a wealthy white person who is trying to buy the race."
Shortly after news of Ose's departure broke, Cox sent out a fundraising email pitch to supporters.
"Now California Republicans have the opportunity to unite behind one candidate with the commitment and ability to go the distance," Cox wrote. "I pledge to do what it takes to make sure that voters are offered a real choice in November."
Brulte, who has been friends with Ose and his family for more than 20 years, said he wished the three-term congressman would have entered the race earlier. It is hard to put together a staff and raise money long after other candidates have already started.
"Doug is a great candidate," Brulte said. "If he had gotten in the race a year earlier, it would have been a different story."
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