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From the OC Blog

GOP Liberals Using Gilchrist To Help Brewer Win

A GOP group founded by liberal Republican members of Congress is attempting to ride to Jim Gilchrist's rescue with mailers and a TV ad attacking John Campbell on immigration.

From Congress Daily this afternoon:

HOUSE RACES

Moderate GOP Group Injects Immigration Into Calif. Primary

The Main Street Individual Fund, which supports moderate GOP causes, has seized on illegal immigration in a new radio ad campaign beginning today to criticize the special election candidacy of GOP state Sen. John Campbell in California's 48th District. Spokeswoman Sarah Chamberlain said the ad campaign would challenge Campbell on votes he cast in the state General Assembly. "We're challenging his poor immigration record," she said. "He says one thing and does another." Campbell, who has campaigned on conservative GOP issues, faces opposition from former Assemblywoman Marilyn Brewer, a GOP moderate, in the Oct. 4 open primary to succeed former GOP Rep. Christopher Cox, who is now SEC chairman. The ad campaign comes as Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., a vocal immigration critic, is set to appear Wednesday in television ads for American Independent Party candidate Jim Gilchrist, a founder of the Minuteman Project that monitors the U.S.-Mexico border.

Chamberlain declined to release a copy of the 30-second ad until it begins running but cited Campbell's 2001 vote in favor of allowing illegal immigrants to receive in-state university tuition and two 2002 votes calling on cities and counties to accept Mexican consular cards as valid identification. Chamberlain said the Individual Fund has also sent 140,000 mailers to district voters. The fund, a so-called 527 group, is distinct from the Republican Main Street Partnership, for which Chamberlain serves as executive director. The latter group has not endorsed a candidate in the race. The Club for Growth, which supports Campbell, has run ads critical of Brewer but has not announced plans for additional spots.

Campbell campaign manager Jim Terry said the criticism misrepresents Campbell's votes and ignores many others he has cast against illegal immigration. "They must be getting some bad information out there," Terry said. He said Campbell received praise Monday from two prominent radio personalities who last year heavily criticized the immigration record of House Rules Chairman Dreier. Campbell is considered the favorite in the heavily Republican district but is competing in an open primary against 16 others. If no one wins a majority, each party's top candidate will advance to a Dec. 6 runoff. As his party's only candidate, anti-immigration activist Gilchrist is guaranteed a spot in any runoff, but the open primary allows him to draw from any party, including potential Campbell backers.

Gilchrist, who is in Washington today courting GOP support, wrote in a letter to House Speaker Hastert Monday he would like to caucus with the Republican Conference if he wins, writing "my values and beliefs similar to those of former President Reagan and the mainstream of the Republican Party." His campaign maintains Gilchrist wanted to run as a Republican but state election law did not allow him to change his party affiliation in time. A Tancredo spokesman said Tancredo is backing Gilchrist because he is a "strong conservative," especially on immigration, and no Democrat is likely to win this seat.

-- by Mark Wegner

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