Last week, Rep. Lois Capps, who is retiring after 18 years in Congress, received a mailer portraying congressional candidate Bill Ostrander next to Bernie Sanders. At first blush, the image is no surprise. The left-leaning — and campaign finance reform — candidate has embraced the association with Sanders, even making bumper stickers that say, “Feel the Bill.” But what is surprising is that the California Republican Party paid for the mailers. And then sent them to registered Democrats.
Less than a week before the June 7 primary election, outside money from both parties in the 24th congressional race has exceeded $1 million. Because of California’s open primary system, the top two vote getters — regardless of party — advance to the November general election. With the Ostrander ad, the Republican strategy appears to draw liberal voters to Ostrander, thereby pulling votes away from frontrunner Supervisor Salud Carbajal. Kaitlyn MacGregor, the California Republican Party spokesperson, denied the intent was to split the Democratic vote. “Our thing is really trying to say, ‘He’s too liberal,’” she said. “The Democrats have a contested primary. That’s going to draw turnout.” (The cost of the ads has not yet been reported.)
Likewise, the National Republican Congressional Committee — which spent $220,000 so far — attacked Carbajal for approving his own pay raise on the Board of Supervisors while portraying Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider as ultra-progressive, which could help her among liberal voters. In fact, the ad used language — that she supports universal health care, for instance — straight from her campaign website.