An all-Republican local Assembly race was already contentious. Now it’s prompted a GOP leadership shake-up.

A long-running dispute over the local Republican Party’s support in the general election has sparked accusations among party members, a shake-up of its leadership and a reduction in its support for its preferred candidate in the contentious race.

The San Diego County Republican Party reached a deal this week to resolve the conflict, with Paula Whitsell resigning as chair and the central committee voting unanimously to appoint Corey Gustafson to succeed her.

The deal will also limit Assembly candidate Andrew Hayes’ benefits as an endorsed candidate and prevent the party from helping him financially in the race.

“I’m thrilled that our party is returning to victory in San Diego County and beating the Democrats, but for me the most important thing that came out of the meeting was unity,” said Gustafson, owner of a small business and former congressman. candidate, told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Whitsell did not respond to requests for comment.

In the race for the open 75th Assembly District seat, the county GOP central committee voted last year in favor of Hayes, an aide to state Sen. Brian Jones. The district, which stretches inland from North County and East County, is one of the most Republican in the state, depending on the local party.

But in last month’s crowded six-person primary, fellow Republican Carl DeMaio, a former San Diego City Council member and congressional candidate, finished first by a comfortable 24-point margin.

Party officials say Whitsell decided at an executive committee meeting last week to reconsider the party’s support for Hayes, who narrowly came in second place in the November runoff.

She told the smaller group that Hayes’ endorsement only applied to the primary and called for a new vote, in a move that some members opposed and called unprecedented, officials said. party officials. Santee Mayor John Minto said he has never seen such an effort to build support in his decades on the committee.

The effort reignited conflicts within the GOP, and Whitsell resigned Monday as part of a deal to resolve them. In a press release sent out that day, the party reaffirmed its support for Hayes as its “only officially endorsed candidate in the 75th.”

The next day, he made clear that his support would last throughout the electoral cycle, culminating in the November 5 general election.

Some party members objected to the way Whitsell attempted to reopen the endorsement question when she called for a special executive meeting rather than presenting her proposal before the full central committee as required by party statutes.

Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey also charged in an email to the central committee Saturday that Whitsell was also coordinating directly with DeMaio, in violation of the party’s bylaws.

Another email sent to the central committee over the weekend and signed by a half-dozen local Republican leaders — including Bailey, Minto, Jones and Rep. Darrell Issa — also criticized his actions, calling them “underhanded manipulation.”

“I think you lose the value of the party and you lose the value of the endorsement process if we just decide that we can withdraw that endorsement for any other reason other than a serious, ethical or legal violation,” the mayor said of El Cajon, Bill Wells. , who also signed the email, told the Union-Tribune on Wednesday. “This sets a precedent that could very well weaken the party in the future. »

Amid the conflict, Whitsell also removed former San Diego City Council member Scott Sherman from the executive committee. He said other party members told him it was because he voted against his motion.

“I was his appointee on the executive committee, so it was within his prerogative to do it,” he said, while calling it unexpected and “rather unusual.” He said Gustafson told him he would be reappointed.

Whitsell’s resignation — announced at the start of Monday’s central committee meeting — was part of the deal reached to resolve the endorsement dilemma, members of the central and executive committees confirmed.

Whitsell, a small business owner in the South Bay, had succeeded longtime local Republican Party Chairman Tony Krvaric in 2020 after controversy over a 30 year old video featuring images of him as well as photos of Adolf Hitler and swastikas. Krvaric disavowed it, calling it a smear campaign.

“I am grateful for Paula’s service to the party and look forward to working with the new president,” Hayes said. “I am proud to be endorsed by the San Diego Republican Party because they know I am the only candidate in the race who is supported by the police and firefighters who keep our communities safe. I did His evidence base for defeating taxes is growing, and I will work to secure our border to stop the flow of fentanyl into San Diego County.

Although Hayes has maintained his support for the deal, it will not be promoted by the party or appear in its official Republican voter guide. As of Tuesday, the race for the 75th Assembly District had been completely removed from the list of endorsements on the party’s website.

Endorsed candidates can raise additional funds that are routed through the party and can coordinate with the party how that money is spent, such as paying for mailers and other promotional materials or even put back directly into their campaign. However, as part of the deal, Hayes must forgo using party funds.

DeMaio also had to drop his request for approval.

“I will have the support of voters against failed members of the Republican Party any day of the week,” DeMaio told the Union-Tribune. He said the local party “has a serious credibility problem with voters in terms of its support, and that’s why voters rejected support in the primary and gave me an overwhelming mandate in the primary in March.”

DeMaio has repeatedly told the Union-Tribune that it won’t matter who he faces in November, since his real opponents will be state leaders — an attitude that gave some party members pause as they considered supporting him.

“He is often very inflammatory in his comments,” Minto said. “We have a hard time being in the minority as Republicans in Sacramento without someone… widening the divide between Democrats and other Republicans who work well with their colleagues on the other side of the aisle. ”

Although Gustafson said Hayes is the candidate the party supports because he will uphold Republican values, he is excited to see two Republicans go head-to-head.

“We want more of those opportunities in the county where we have two Republicans in the runoff,” Gustafson said.