GOP Reportedly Recruiting San Diego Mayor Faulconer For '18 Governor's Race

THIS IS KPBS MIDDAY EDITION. MAYOR KEVIN FAULCONER HAS SAID HE REPEATEDLY INTENDS TO SERVE OUT HIS TERM AS MAYOR. THE TERM ENDS IN 2020. REPORTS CONTINUE TO EMERGE THAT REPUBLICAN LEADERS WANT HIM TO CONSIDER MAKING A RUN FOR GOVERNOR IN 2018. THE STATE GOP OFFICIALS SAY THE VICTORY OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS REVITALIZE THE PARTY. THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A VIABLE STANDARD ERROR IN CALIFORNIA'S NEXT ELECTION. JOINING ME AS SEAMA MAITRE, CO-AUTHOR OF TODAY'S ARTICLE ABOUT GOP CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR. WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM. WHY DOES SAN DIEGO'S MAYOR LOOK GOOD TO STATE PARTY OFFICIALS? I THINK THEY BELIEVE IDEOLOGICALLY HE BEST FITS THE STATE. HE IS CONSERVATIVE BUT NOT A SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE. THEY BELIEVE HE FITS THE VOTERS ISSUES LIKE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BUT HE IS A FISCAL CONSERVATIVE. HE GOT ELECTED AND A DEMOCRATIC CITY, ANY REPUBLICAN THAT HAS A CHANCE OF WINNING IN CALIFORNIA NEEDS TO DEMONSTRATE THE CROSSOVER APPEAL. THE DONOR COMMUNITY IS COMFORTABLE, THE ESTABLISHMENT IS COMFORTABLE, AND GRASSROOTS REPUBLICANS LIKE HIM AS WELL. HE HITS EVERY START -- PART OF THE PARTY. WHO HAS BEEN TALKING TO HIM ABOUT RUNNING? THE HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER HAS TAKEN A STRONG ROLE IN TRYING TO CONVINCE THEM TO RUN. THEY WILL HELP DETERMINE WHETHER REPUBLICANS CAN HOLD ONTO CONTROL OF CONGRESS. HE WANTS TO SEE A STOP -- STRONG TOP OF THE TICKET. YOU ALSO REPORTS SOURCES IDENTIFIED AS GOP STRATEGISTS FAMILIAR WITH HIS THINKING, SAY HE IS WEIGHING ENTERING THE RACE. WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF MAKING THAT CHOICE AS YOU SEE IT? IN SOME WAYS IT'S ALMOST EVERY SHOT BECAUSE IF HE DOES IT AND IS UNSUCCESSFUL, HE RAISES HIS NAME ACROSS THE STATE WHICH IS GOOD FOR A FUTURE RUN. WE UNDERSTAND PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO CONVINCE THEM AND SHOW HIM HE HAS A PATH, DONORS WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO COMMIT, WE HAVE HEARD HE'S TAKING THESE DISCUSSIONS SERIOUSLY. WE DID CONTACT HIS OFFICE FOR COMMENT BUT HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE. SO BOTH HOUSES OF THE ASSEMBLY ARE OVERWHELMINGLY CONTROLLED BY DEMOCRATS. THERE IS NO STATEWIDE ELECTED OFFICIAL WHO IS A REPUBLICAN. DOES THE GOP THINK IT HAS A CHANCE TO TURN THAT AROUND? I THINK THEY ARE OPTIMISTIC, THEY REALIZED DEMOCRATS HAVE A 19% EDGE AND REGISTRATION -- AND REGISTRATION. IT IS A HELL TO CLIMB BUT THEY ARE OPTIMISTIC FOR A COUPLE REASONS. THEY BELIEVE THAT TRUMP HAS ENERGIZED VOTERS. AND THEY SAY DEMOCRATS ARE OVERREACHING AND POINTING TO THE SINGLE-PARENT HEALTH CARE BILL WHICH WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. AS AN EXAMPLE THEY POINT TO THE GAS TAX THAT WAS PASSED GOVERNOR. BROWN. THEY ARE COUNTING ON A REVOLT AGAINST DEMOCRATS AND PEOPLE TAKING A NEW LOOK AT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS BEEN OUT IN THE COLD FOR A WHILE NOW, IS THIS PUSH FOR A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR. MORE OF A REMOUNT BOOST -- MORALE BOOST, WHAT DID YOU FIGURE OUT? WE SAW A CONVENTION EARLIER THIS YEAR AND IN TALKING TO ACTIVISTS, THEY ARE THE MOST LOYAL, KNOCKING ON DOORS, RAISING MONEY, THERE WAS A PALPABLE SENSE OF FRUSTRATION THAT IN 2014, THEY HAD A CANDIDATE BUT THEY PUT NO RESOURCES BEHIND HIM, NO ONE GAVE HIM A SHOT BECAUSE HE WAS RUNNING AGAINST THE GOVERNOR WHO PEOPLE WERE CONFIDENT WHEN ONE. IN 2016, WE ENDED UP WITH TWO DEMOCRATS IN THE GENERAL ELECTION BECAUSE THEY SPLINTERED. THERE WAS A SENSE OF FRUSTRATION TO GET BACK IN THE GAME. PARTY LEADERS SORT OF MADE IT COMMITMENT THAT THEY WOULD BE MORE ACTIVE BUT WHAT WE DON'T KNOW IS WHETHER THEY HAVE A PLAN, COMMITMENT, OR WHETHER THIS WAS WISHFUL THINKING TO SOOTH PEOPLE. FAULKNER IS NOT THE ONLY REPUBLICAN NAME BEING PUT OUT THERE. THERE IS SOME CONCERN I UNDERSTAND, THERE MAY BE A NUMBER AND THEY MAY SORT OF CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT. THAT'S WHAT WE SAW IN THE SENATE RACE. THREE CANDIDATES WHO ARE NOT WELL KNOWN IN THE BASE SPLINTERED AND THAT'S WHY YOU ENDED UP WITH PAMELA HARRIS AND SANCHEZ. NOW, THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE WITH BIGGER NAME REPUBLICANS AND WE HAVE TRAVIS ALLEN FROM ORANGE COUNTY WHO ENJOYS SUPPORT FROM GRASSROOTS AND JON COX WHO HAS PUT $3 MILLION OF HIS OWN MONEY INTO HIS RACE, SOMEONE CLOSE TO HIM HAS INDICATED HE IS WILLING TO PUT MORE IN. WE ALSO HAVE DAVID HADLEY WHO IS CONSIDERING GETTING AN. IF YOU HAVE FOUR MAJOR CANDIDATES, THAT COULD SPLINTER THE BASE AND YOU COULD RESULT IN THE SAME THING WITH TWO DEMOCRATS RUNNING AGAINST EACH OTHER. IN ORDER TO BECOME A VIABLE CANDIDATE AND RAISE ENOUGH MONEY HOW SOON DO YOU THINK DOES THE MAYOR HAVE TO MAKE UP HIS MIND ABOUT RUNNING? THE SOONER THE BETTER. THE FIRST DEMOCRAT WHO ANNOUNCED WAS NEWS HIM AND HE ANNOUNCED IN 2015. HE HAS RAISED OVER $12 MILLION. OTHER DEMOCRATS HAVE ENTERED, YOU HAVE JOHN CHIANG, AND THEY HAVE RAISED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. IN TERMS OF FUNDRAISING, HE NEEDS TO DO IT IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU FOR BEING ON THE SHOW.