California’s Republican caucus is growing and more diverse, but it’s a long way from power

While Democrats retain a supermajority, experts say Republican wins – and an increasingly diverse GOP Caucus – signal potential shifts in voter sentiment among non white voters

The Republican caucus in California’s Legislature is growing more diverse as Latino and Asian American candidates apparently flipped three Democrat-held seats, including unseating an incumbent Democrat senator for the first time in a presidential election since 1980.

When new legislators are sworn in next week, Democrats will still control a supermajority in the Legislature. But the three flipped seats have Republicans hopeful that California’s reputation as a liberal enclave state may be shifting. They point to Latino and Black voters helping send Donald Trump to the White House for a second term.

“As Californians grow increasingly frustrated with the failures of Democrat leadership, they are shifting toward Republican solutions,” Senate Republican Leader Brian Jones said in a statement. “Senate Republicans are not only growing in numbers but also diversity.”

The Republican caucus is on pace to have at least 50% nonwhite […]

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