Republican Group Backs Boland to Succeed La Follette

The local California Republican Assembly delegates have endorsed Granada Hills real estate broker Paula Boland in the race to succeed Republican Assemblywoman Marion La Follette in the northern San Fernando Valley’s 38th District.

Boland, 50, won the conservative organization’s endorsement over four other Republicans, including her chief rival, La Follette aide Robert Wilcox. Steve Frank, a California Republican Assembly member, said Boland won the group’s backing because of her activism in the business world, in the community and in Republican politics.

“She’s more than paid her dues,” Frank said.

Boland, a CRA member, is a past president of the Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce, a founding member of the Bank of Granada Hills and is particularly well known in Republican circles for her grass-roots work on many Republican campaigns, ranging from La Follette’s first run for office a decade ago, to Ronald Reagan’s two presidential bids.

“I’m deliriously happy of course,” Boland said of the endorsement. “Any time a group of your peers endorses you--and this group is the core of the Republican party--it’s got to be exciting.”

La Follette announced Feb. 27 that she would not run for re-election, leaving those interested in replacing her less than three weeks to file nomination papers and about 13 weeks to campaign for the June 5 primary.

The endorsement typically brings a candidate campaign donations and, perhaps more important, volunteers. Frank estimated that about 200 CRA members live in the 38th Assembly District.

“They’ll be working precincts, manning phone banks and doing whatever else the candidate needs,” he said.

But Wilcox, 24, predicted that many CRA members may volunteer to help his campaign instead. He said he did not consider the CRA endorsement of Boland a setback.

“I have a lot of support from members of the CRA,” he said. “The delegates controlling the endorsing process have skewed it to the far right, which is unrepresentative of the Republican Party.”

Frank declined to comment on what CRA delegates disliked about Wilcox. But Wilcox said he thought the CRA’s primary objection might have been to his support of abortion rights.

In campaign funding statements submitted earlier this month, Boland also outdistanced Wilcox financially, raising $28,805 to his $14,713.

The winner of the June GOP primary will face the Democratic nominee in November.