In a Congressional District once held by Gary Miller, the most endangered incumbent in the country according to national sources, Paul Chabot stepped in and won the jungle primary to fight against Peter Aguilar, the mayor of Redlands.
From the outset, the Democratic Party through all their money and immorality at the seat, doing everything they could to prop up a relatively week candidate.
How weak was Aguilar? On election day, he lost his own city by eight points .
Unfortunately, Aguilar won the seat by three points because of support in San Bernardino, Colton and Rialto.
Paul Chabot, conservative Republican fighting for a + 5 Democratic seat (in a constituency which had gone for Obama by 15 points in 2012), lost the 31st Congressional district by a slim margin, and with no money from the National Republican Central Committee.
Did Chabot sit on the sidelines and whine about his lack of funding from the National Party? Did he give up, collect what little he had, and go home?
No way.
He got up and started the fight again.
He has been writing editorials to the local paper, blasting Aguilar's out-of-touch liberal policies, including the former mayor's unfounded support for President Obama's unconstitutional executive amnesty.
Chabot has reached out to small donors, not pandering to Big Labor or Big Business for easy money and easy favors in return. He even exceeded his fundraising goals in the last quarter.
John Bolton, the former US Ambassador to the United Nations, endorsed and support Chabot in 2014, and he is putting his name and resources behind this police officer and public servant.
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| Sheriff David Clarke (left) with Paul Chabot |
Like Chabot, Clarke faced heavy national opposition, but was able to prevail and won reelection as the top law enforcement officer in Milwaukee County.
Final Thoughts
Chabot faced uphill odds in his 2014 fight for the 31st Congressional District. He had an amazing team of volunteers as well as widespread outside support. Democratic contender Aguilar had to pull in ten times the amount of money, plus personal visits from Vice President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton. With all that time and money, Aguilar barely won.
And the National Republican Congressional Committee has finally paid attention, and they are targeting Aguilar for defeat in 2016.
Chabot's example should inspire dispirited California Republicans, who feel that no matter what they do, they cannot win blue California. Communities like the San Bernardino region should remind pundits in Sacramento and pollsters all across the country that the only poll that counts is. . . the final vote. The statistics on the ground do not determine how a district will go in any election, and more Democrats are fed up with their own party, catering to limited interests at the expense of working men and women struggling to get by.
Some conservatives constantly complain: "I need more money, I need more help." Chabot didn't sit and wait for someone else to come to his rescue, nor did he rant and rave for the lack of resources or resolve from certain groups. He stuck to his principles, built up his base of volunteers and contacts, and now he is exceeding the expectations of local as well as national political commentators.
Paul Chabot, fighting the good fight, is in it to win the 31st Congressional District in 2015. His work should embolden Republicans, whether in California or elsewhere, and they need to follow his example.
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| CA-31 |
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