OC Political

I have been meaning to write about this for a while but got behind with a ton of work that had piled up on my desk.

Orange County has a number of candidates that have advanced to ‘Pathfinder’ status by the California Trailblazers. Jesse Petrilla (AD 73) joins Janet Nguyen (SD 34), Pat Bates (SD 36), Ling-Ling Chang (AD 55), Phillip Chen (AD 55), and Young Kim (AD 65).

In order to explain a bit more about how the California Trailblazers program works, here is an excerpt from a press release that they issued:

California Trailblazers Announces Four ‘Pathfinder’ Candidates
http://www.catrailblazers.com/news/40/15/California-Trailblazers-Announces-Four-Pathfinder-Candidates/

Senate and Assembly candidates surpass rigorous campaign goals and earn distinction

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California Trailblazers today announced another round of Republican candidates who have advanced to ‘Pathfinder’ status, the first level in the program’s three-tier structure. The Trailblazers program is off to a strong start with a majority of state Assembly and Senate candidates enrolled in the program. With today’s announcement, 13 candidates have reached ‘Pathfinder’ status. The Trailblazers program successfully helps candidates strengthen their campaigns by providing resources, training opportunities and practical skills so they are equipped to build and run winning campaigns.

“To renew and rebuild the Republican Party, we need to help develop quality Republican candidates who represent their districts’ values and are well-positioned to connect and engage with voters. Our goal is to elevate candidates and strengthen their campaigns by encouraging them to achieve specific benchmarks throughout the campaign cycle,” said California Trailblazers CEO Jessica Patterson. “Candidates move up the ranks as they reach aggressive benchmarks and develop a strong campaign infrastructure.” Re: CA Trailblazers Announce Petrilla as ‘Pathfinder’ Candidate Page 1 of 3

The three-tier structure encourages candidates to advance through the levels of ‘Pathfinder,’ ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Trailblazer’ by providing tools and resources for candidates to develop successful campaigns.

California Trailblazers distinguishes candidates as ‘Pathfinders’ once they’ve established the foundation for a robust and winning campaign. ‘Pathfinder’ candidates have raised more than $100,000 in campaign contributions, identified local volunteers and precinct captains and created a substantial online presence through a dynamic website and active social media effort.

This is big news for Petrilla who is likely fending off CUSD Trustee Anna Bryson to advance to the November General Election. Petrilla is already the leading fundraiser in AD 73 and has always been known for having a large amount of grassroots supporters. A combination of his being named a ‘Pathfinder’, raising the most money, having a strong grassroots network, and his military background are leading me to believe that he will be tough to beat in June.

Petrilla finished in first place in the 2010 Rancho Santa Margarita City Council race (impressively finishing ahead of 2 incumbents):

* Indicates Incumbent Candidate, if any

Ironically, I believe that Wendy Gabriella will come in first in June due to the Republican vote being split amongst four candidates. Whoever emerges from this brutal primary will likely coast in the November election against Wendy Gabriella.