Breaking: Doug Ose Drops Out (WINNING!)

The race for Governor is starting to brighten up.

Doug Ose, the former Congress from Sacramento County, finally realized it was a fool's errand to split the vote. He has announced that he will drop out of the race.

From the Sacramento Bee:

Republican drops out of race for California governor

Republican Doug Ose dropped out of the race for California governor Monday, citing a crowded field of candidates and lack of fundraising needed to defeat Democrats, who are leading in the polls.

BAM! He should never have jumped into the race to begin with!

"There's no money, and if you don't have enough money, you can't communicate a message," Ose said in an interview.

Ose said he made the decision after realizing traditional Republican donors would not support him.

"There's nobody willing to invest in a statewide Republican campaign to the level that needs to be done," he said. "The people that have traditionally written $25,000 checks are now writing $1,000 checks because they don't see a path for a Republican to win."

There was no path to win as long as the GOP field was divided so heavily. So glad that you are gone, Doug!

Ose, a Sacramento businessman and former member of the House, predicted other Republican rivals, Orange County Assemblyman Travis Allen and businessman John Cox, would face the same challenge.

"I have no doubt that they’re facing the same problem,” Ose said. “There’s no money and there’s nobody willing to invest in a statewide Republican campaign.”

Democrats are leading in the polls. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is considered the frontrunner in the race to succeed Gov. Jerry Brown. Neither he nor his Democratic challengers — former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, state Treasurer John Chiang or former state schools chief Delaine Eastin — earned the Democratic Party's endorsement at their convention in San Diego this past weekend.

For this reason, I have more hope that a Republican will make it into the Top Two for the general election. The Democrats are so deeply divide, and the third-tier nobody Delaine Eastin earned more delegate support than Antonio Villaraigosa.

Ose declined to say whether he'd back another Republican in the campaign, but suggested that if it's a Democrat-on-Democrat race, he'd vote for a moderate.

Democrats as moderates? Funny.

He needs to get behind one Republican--Travis Allen--and make sure that we get rid of John Cox.

Vote Travis Allen for Governor!

FYI: Allen released this statement following Ose's decision to drop out:

Arthur,

We just got word that one of my Republican opponents dropped out of the race for Governor today.

This is fantastic news for California Republicans, because it means that we're one step closer to unifying the Republican vote in order to make it past the top-two Primary election and on to November.

But, there are still multiple Republicans in the race.

We're halfway to our $100,000 month-end fundraising goal ahead of the close of candidate filing on March 9th.

I need your help bringing it home in order to show our opponents that ours is the campaign our party needs to rally around, or else we could get shut out.

Before our Wednesday night deadline, please chip in $25, $250, $2,500 or whatever you can afford to help me hit this goal and ensure Republicans have a candidate in the November election.

Sincerely,

Travis Allen

P.S. If March 9th rolls around and multiple Republicans have filed to run for Governor, we risk letting two Democrats win the Primary. This is our last chance to ensure we have a single Republican candidate to unify the vote. We are leading in the polls, please help me show our opponents that we have the resources to win. Chip in $25 or more before our February fundraising deadline. Thanks, Travis

CHIP IN NOW