Last weekend, your California Log Cabin Republicans leadership team assembled in Sacramento at the California Republican Party convention. The difference just a few years make could not be more striking.

Just four years ago at this very convention, we made history by receiving our official charter by the CAGOP – marking the end of a 20+ year battle with hardliners that worked mercilessly to exclude LGBTQ conservatives and our allies. Our recharter this year was passed unanimously and was routine. We were honored to have our new Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director, Jerri Ann Henry join us in California over the last two weeks and were thankful that she was able to come to convention as well. We hosted a fun hospitality suite with our friends at the California Young Republicans that was packed all Saturday night.

Besides the revelry and the standard party functional work, we’re proud of another milestone reached: last weekend, the members of the state party central committee elected 4 Log Cabin members to the Party’s Board of Directors.

Elected this weekend were:

• Peter Kuo, of Santa Clara, who will serve as the state Vice Chairman
• Greg Gandrud, of Carpentaria, who will serve as the Treasurer
• Jason Clark, of San Francisco, who will serve as the Regional Vice Chairman – Bay Area
• Lindsey Stetson, of Ventura, who will serve as the Regional Vice Chairman – Central Coast.

Lindsey & Peter are both LGBTQ-supportive allies and active members of Log Cabin, so we’re especially thankful of their leadership to support our community. Long-time ally of Log Cabin, Jessica Patterson, was also endorsed by our organization and elected as the CAGOP’s first ever Latina Chair of the Party!

A special point of pride with the election of Greg as Treasurer. He was the first openly-gay member of the California Republican Party Board of Directors, and now with his elevation to the #3 position on the Board, becomes the highest-serving LGBTQ person on the CRP Board.

We’d like to take a moment to thank Log Cabin member and LGBTQ-ally Sue Caro, who concluded her time on the CRP Board, whom Jason is replacing.

The media covering the convention has been very positive – the CAGOP elected a 38 year-old Latina, Jessica Patterson, as Chair, a Taiwanese-immigrant, Peter Kuo, as Vice-Chair, an openly gay man, Greg Gandrud, as Treasurer, and a 2-time cancer survivor, Randy Berholtz as Secretary. The times, they are a changin’!

I was honored to be reelected to serve as LCRCA Chair for another term, and will be joined by Paul Cummings as Vice Chair. Our board is made up of several at-large members and the president of every chapter in the state (10).

Log Cabin Republicans are represented at the highest levels in the California Republican Party, continuing a legacy built by the work of so many in the decades before us. For anyone who says the Republican Party isn’t inclusive, they are sorely wrong. For those who insist that LGBTQ’s and other minorities don’t have a place in the Republican Party, we are now running the Party in California. And for those who don’t see the relevance of Log Cabin Republicans – well, we put in the hard work and our members earned their seat at the table.

This is just a snapshot of the political “insiders” work that we do at Log Cabin Republicans – if you’ve been absent from a meeting this year, I’d like to invite you back to jump on board this dynamic organization as we prepare for the Pride season and the exciting 2020 election cycle.