The Team That Bobbi Built
By Juliet Bailey Bischoff
The Team That Bobbi Built
In 2019 Bobbi McGinnis, former secretary under four prior Chairs became Chairwoman of the Santa Barbara Republican Party Central Committee. She came into a Committee that had been stabilized by Chair Tom Widroe, but had been rocked with dissension, dismissals, and was dismayed and discouraged by previous events.
Bobbi took on the challenge and has built the Committee into the effective team it is today. Today we have more Republicans wanting to be on the Committee than there are seats available in the First, Second, and Third Districts.
This is a new phenomenon.
So how did she do it?
Chairwoman McGinnis began by welcoming all kinds of people, along with various backgrounds and opinions. The current team of committee members range from young to old, wealthy to not, working to retired, and agricultural to high tech. They share a firm belief in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Bobbi’s team also prioritizes property rights, economic freedoms, and personal liberty.
Like any varied group, we don’t always agree, but we have succeeded as a team nonetheless in accomplishing many things.
What are those accomplishments?
In 2022 the Committee found 90 candidates to run for office. Of those, 67 won and one was appointed. An astonishing 74% win rate. At the state CAGOP, that accomplishment is known as the Santa Barbara Surprise!
We now have three offices in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Lompoc. In those offices and online, classes are taught to hundreds about the Constitution, on how to become a Candidate, precinct walking, poll working and watching, phone banking, effective writing, and much more.
Elected Officials and Candidates hold events and make guest appearances.
But it was the efforts to place qualified Republican applicants on the Redistricting Commission after the 2020 Census that was an achievement years in the making. Our Chair even had to threaten to sue the Commission to force them to follow the rules which placed three Republicans (instead of two) on the Board of 11.
The resulting Redistricting Commission unanimously redrew the lines, which moved UCSB and Isla Vista out of 3rd District and into the 2nd Supervisor District. Which is why we have a good chance to take back 3rd District with Candidate Frank Troise.
Bobbi often spends 40 hours a week (or more) meeting, leading, speaking, writing, recruiting, and finding ways to bring Republicans together. She drives thousands of miles each year and has opened monthly meetings for attendance on Zoom, bringing in statewide and national guest speakers. Bobbi is unpaid, although she quietly pays for others to attend meetings, have meals, and donates regularly to the SBGOP, unlike some of her critics.
Bobbi has come under attack for her big tent welcoming approach in this election by others who do not support such a broad base of Republicans. She and the other candidates (which includes newcomers) had to receive 2/3rds of the members votes in order to be endorsed.
That is a ringing testimonial of a team leader.
Ms. Bailey Bischoff is SBCRP Assistant Treasurer and a Candidate for 2nd Supervisor District
2 corrections if I may:
As in the past, the team is presently rocked with dissension, dismissals, and is dismayed and discouraged by current events.
The enthusiasm that resulted in three contested races for the unnecessarily obscure Santa Barbara County Republican Party Central Committee is driven by deep hunger for change at the top, not satisfaction with the current leadership.
I could continue with almost every aspect of the rest of the piece – including addressing the cheap insinuation that the Unite2Win805.org slate is not inclusive, but I have better things to do.
If you want to continue with the team that celebrates chaos over clarity, seat-of-the-pants over strategy, opacity over transparency, choose team Bobbi.
Otherwise, go with the Unite2Win805 candidates. https://unite2win805.org
Kamala could write an article about how great their team has done.