McClintock Trying to Oust GOP Leader

Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks) announced Wednesday that he is trying to oust Assembly Republican Leader Ross Johnson from his leadership post.

Johnson responded that he is unworried by the challenge.

McClintock, who has been at odds with Johnson for months, said he decided to mount the challenge after Republican Dick Lang on Tuesday lost a special election for an Assembly seat the GOP had hoped to capture in the Modesto area. Johnson and the party leadership supported Lang.

McClintock complained that Johnson has spent too much time and money on supporting candidates like Lang in GOP primary elections instead of focusing resources on general elections.

“I think there’s a general recognition that some very serious changes need to be made in the caucus if we are to avert similar disasters in the future,” McClintock said in an interview.

McClintock complained that Johnson of La Habra spends too little time “defining Republican policy alternatives.”

McClintock said he expects the 33 Assembly Republicans to meet next week to consider his challenge. However, he rated his chances of rounding up a majority of votes to oust Johnson at only “50-50.”.

Four other GOP lawmakers surveyed, who acknowledged strains in the caucus, agreed that it was unclear whether McClintock can succeed.

Johnson, who assumed the GOP post in November, 1988, after three incumbent GOP lawmakers lost their seats, described himself as confident of retaining his leadership. “I’m not going to lose any sleep about it,” he said.

Johnson declined to discuss McClintock’s criticisms, saying McClintock “doesn’t have much of a record of bringing them up at caucus meetings.”

The McClintock-Johnson rift became public late last year when McClintock called for “some very serious housecleaning” of the Assembly GOP Caucus after Karin Watson, a top Republican Assembly aide, admitted during a federal court hearing that she extorted $12,500 for her bosses. She is cooperating with an FBI investigation of corruption in the state capital.

Assemblywoman Marian W. La Follette (R-Northridge) said a number of GOP lawmakers embrace McClintock’s opposition to Johnson. She said there is an increasing feeling that “possibly too much time is being spent on election politics rather than the issues we’re supposed to address in the caucus.”