California Dem doubts someone from their state could win presidency since they're thought of as 'crazy people'

Fox News

2 days ago

California Democrats at their annual state convention had mix feelings about whether someone from their state could win on a national level after former Vice President Kamala Harris lost in 2024.
Delegates convened over the weekend with guests to induct new members and plan for the 2026 election season. Although Harris and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have both been seen as potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders, neither appeared at the convention, with Harris only addressing the convention via video.
The convention largely avoided discussions about the 2028 election, with at least one delegate wondering if a liberal Californian could win on the national stage at all.
"I don't know if a California Democrat can win a presidential election," delegate Jane Baulch-Enloe told the Los Angeles Times. "California is thought of as the crazy people... I don't mean that in a bad way — though I know some people do — but we do things differently here."
Baulch-Enloe instead insisted California Democrats first need to "get people on our side and help them understand that we aren't just wacko liberals and teach people that it's okay to want things" like higher wages or universal healthcare.
Other attendees, such as Asian American Pacific Islander caucus leader Aref Aziz, argued that Democrats need to have a clearer perspective and message on the economy if they want to win more elections.
"When you look at a lot of our economies, California and New York, by all accounts, GDP, the numbers that you look at, they're doing great," Aziz said. "But when it comes to the cost that consumers are paying in these places, they're so high and so far above other countries that we end up diminishing whatever value there is in our GDP, because everything's so expensive."
However, not all delegates believed California's liberal policies would be a hindrance to future elections.
"People like to point a finger somewhere, and I think California is an easy target, but I disagree," delegate Melissa Taylor told the LA Times. "Because I think that California is standing up for values that the Democratic Party believes in, like we believe in labor, we believe in healthcare, we believe in women's rights, we believe in rights for LGBTQ people."
Jodi Hicks, the president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, added that Harris' loss was prompted by multiple "unique" factors, including her short three-month campaign, rather than politics. However, she agreed Democrats need "to walk and chew gum at the same time" when it comes to promoting liberal policies and helping the economy.
Fox News Digital reached out to the California Democratic Party for comment.