CA Primary: ‘Silent’ Republicans More Powerful than They Realize

California’s heavily Democratic electorate and waning Republican presence might appear to limit the chances of a Republican garnering much delegate support in the state’s upcoming June primary elections. However, a hidden facet of the Golden State’s delegate system for the Republicans reveals that less could actually be more.

“If you’re a Democrat in Texas you keep your mouth shut, and if you’re Republican here, you keep your mouth shut,” Republican Albert Kugler from San Leandro, located on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay, explained to the San Luis Obispo Tribune,

California has a total of 172 delegates, and Republicans award three delegates to the winner of each congressional district. The Tribune points out that as a result of the relatively small number of Republican voters living in heavily Democratic districts “will hold a disproportionate influence on the result.” Therefore, the key to winning California appears to be nestled in smaller districts that have few Republelicans.

Candidates have until May 13 to submit the names of their delegates to the state’s Republican Party.

Although Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is reportedly the best organized of the candidates in California, the Tribune reports that he still lags behind billionaire Donald Trump in terms of public opinion.

While advertising is an extremely costly venture in the state, spending in those smaller districts seems to be worth it. “It’s a very low investment, for a very high reward,” Breitbart Editor-at-Large Joel B. Pollak said. “You don’t even need to have the majority, just the plurality,” Pollak explained.

Cruz is expected to compete with Trump for those coveted delegates in the Central Valley and northern reaches of California. In the Bay Area –Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)’s stomping grounds — where Democrats dominate and Republicans are often quieter about their political views for fear of being ostracized, there is a grand opportunity to appeal to the smaller Republican populace.

Regardless of the results, this primary is an unprecedented one for the Golden State and its Republican Party, which has lost nearly 400,000 registered voters over the course of the lastCal four years and currently holds less than 28 percent of the electorate.

Still, there appears to be a shimmering light at the end of the tunnel.

Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter @AdelleNaz.