The California Republican Party is set to make major changes to its statewide platform, including a reversal of its long-held opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage as a way to court voters in the Golden State.
The state GOP is set to vote on the proposal that would break from the national party’s position on the two crucial voter issues, according to the Los Angeles Times. The state’s Republican leaders are scheduled to meet in Anaheim for its annual fall convention later this year, during which the party will take a vote on whether to amend its official platform ahead of the 2024 cycle.
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“It’s a seismic shift but it’s a shift born out of practical necessity. Look at what’s happening not just in California but in much more conservative states, realizing antiabortion, anti-same-sex marriage stances are no longer tenable,” Jessica Levinson, an election law professor at Loyola Law School, told the outlet. “I think it shows their acknowledgment that the sand has shifted underneath their feet.”
Part of the proposal would emphasize the party’s support for “traditional family values” and maintaining a “strong and healthy family unit.” However, it would omit language mandating “it is important to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.”
The platform would also reverse Republicans’ opposition to abortion, stripping language that denounces support for access to the procedure. However, the proposal would still urge adoption as “an alternative” to abortion.
The suggested changes have prompted criticism from some conservative leaders, who decried the proposed platform as controversial and divisive.
“This will be extremely controversial and will take a convention that is supposed to be about unifying the party and instead it ends up becoming a big feud,” said Jon Fleischman, a former state GOP executive director. “It’s the last thing the party needs.”
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The revised platform includes a number of other contentious culture war stances, but the reversals on abortion and same-sex marriage are likely to garner the most attention ahead of the state party’s convention — during which several GOP presidential candidates are slated to appear.
The annual California GOP convention is set to take place from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel. Presidential candidates such as former President Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and others are among those who are expected to attend.
