Rice is popular among Republicans, but so far has refused calls to run for senator, governor, even president.

The poll found 49 percent of Californians “inclining” to support her.

Under California’s Top Two system, Rice likely would face off against a Democrat in the November election, and would have to overcome the state’s strong Democratic identity. But her top showing indicates she might do better than Boxer’s 2010 opponent, former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, who got 42 percent.

Topping Democrats on the list was Attorney General Kamala Harris, with 46 percent “inclined” to support her. She announced her Senate bid last month.

In third place was Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez at 39 percent; then Democratic California Secretary of State Alex Padilla at 38 percent.

Oddly, former Rep. David Dreier, a Republican, did not make the list on the Field Poll. Yet he finished second, at 19 percent, to Harris’ 34 percent in a Public Policy Polling survey released last week. The poll asked about only five names, the others being former Democratic Mayor of Los Angeles Villaraigosa, 16 percent; former Republican Rep. Mary Bono, 14 percent; and Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, 4 percent.

And in a head-to-head question, Dreier was in striking distance of Harris, with 42 percent to her 47 percent.

Here’s the full list for the Field Poll:

By John Hrabe

SACRAMENTO — Meeting in the state capital this weekend for its spring convention, the California Republican Party is deep in the red. The party’s debt problems are so bad it’s not even clear how much money it owes creditors.

The Sacramento Bee reported the tab could be as high as $800,000. One state party officer told CalWatchDog.com on Friday afternoon, “The number is probably closer to half a million, when it’s all said and done.”

It could take incoming state Republican chairman Jim Brulte months to get the party into the black. Or the party’s financial problems could be resolved with as few as four phone calls to longtime Republican officials who currently sit on millions of dollars in active campaign committees.

Will quartet come to their party’s aid?

Four former Republican members of Congress — Wally Herger, Elton Gallegly, David Dreier and Jerry Lewis — retain more than $2.2 million in combined cash on hand in federal campaign accounts. Federal campaign finance rules allow retired members of Congress to make unlimited transfers to state party committees. Pegging the party’s debt at a half-million dollars, the party could resolve its financial problems with as little as 22 percent of the retired members’ reported cash on hand, still leaving them with more than $1 million to spend as they see fit.

“After decades of serving the people of California and the Republican Party, this is a splendid opportunity for them to generously give back — to help revive the California Republican Party,” said Shawn Steel, California’s Republican National Committee representative. “I have no doubt, in terms of their political legacy, they’ll want to make one final contribution to the state party.”

Retiring members of Congress are eligible to make “unlimited transfers to any national, state or local political party committee,” according to the Federal Election Commission’s Campaign Guide for Congressional Candidates and Committees, published in August 2011.

California’s outgoing Republican chairman, Tom Del Beccaro, told reporters on Saturday that he has been frustrated by the congressional delegation’s lack of financial support and believes that the four recently retired members of Congress should help alleviate the party’s debts.

At a Saturday morning press conference, when asked whether the retired members should aid the party, Del Beccaro answered simply, “Yes and yes.”

“Jim Brulte will be a better chairman when it comes to those types of things,” he added.

Few federal limits on ex-lawmakers’ use of leftover campaign cash

Within the first six months of a candidate leaving office, congressional committees are authorized to use their campaign committees to pay for “the costs of winding down the office of a former federal officeholder,” which can include moving expenses, payments to committee staff and gifts to individuals. If funds remain after six months, federal officeholders are eligible to make unlimited contributions to political parties and charitable organizations as well as contribute to state and local candidates, pursuant to state law. About the only restriction on federal officeholders: no expenditures for personal use.

Lewis, frequently described as “one of California’s most powerful Republicans,” ended his 34 years in Washington with $856,407 in the bank.

Dreier, who was recently appointed chairman of the Annenberg-Dreier Commission at Sunnylands after 32 years in Congress, has nearly $750,000 in his congressional account.

Gallegly, who represented Ventura County for 12 terms, retired with just shy of $600,000 in cash on hand.

Herger, who represented Northern California’s 2nd congressional district for 13 terms, maintains the lowest cash on hand, a little more than $82,000.

State party Treasurer Mike Osborn said the party could use the help.

“All our party members have future plans,” said Osborn, who is seeking reelection to his post. “It would be much appreciated if they could find a way to help the party.”

The former congressmen have yet to embrace the idea of bailing out the state party. Last July, a spokesman for Lewis told CalWatchDog.com that the congressman was still considering his options. “He has not made any final decisions on the distribution of his campaign account at this point,” said Jim Specht, then Lewis’ deputy chief of staff.

A spokesman for Gallegly told CalWatchDog.com last summer that the congressman was considering his options, which was affirmed in January.

“We’re working very closely with the [Federal Election Commission] to make sure what we do is appropriate and make sure that when the final decision is made, it’s going to be one that can best serve the community,” Gallegly told his hometown paper,  the Ventura County Star.

No new campaigns seen for ex-congressmen

It’s unlikely that any of the four congressional retirees would run for another office. All four retired from Congress in 2012 rather than face tough reelections in new district’s created through the state’s decennial redistricting process.

Rancho Santa Margarita Councilman Jesse Petrilla, a Republican candidate in the 73rd Assembly District, believes that the retired members of Congress should contribute to the party’s debt along with everyone else in the state party.

“They should chip in whatever they can,” said Petrilla, who serves as a convention delegate. “But we’re going to need support from more than just a few individuals. We need everyone to reach into their pockets and dig deep.”

On Sunday, party delegates will consider a resolution proposed by Republican delegate and activist Carl Burton that would thank all retiring Republican members of Congress, including the four members, “for their service to citizens of California and to the United States of America.”

Noticeably absent from the resolution: any mention of their service to the California Republican Party.

By Dave Roberts

In California, there are three certainties: death, taxes and the re-election of Sen. Dianne Feinstein. In 2006, she shellacked Dick Mountjoy by 24 points. In 2000, she trounced Tom Campbell by 19 points.

The grande doyenne of California Democrats has been in the Senate for 20 years and will turn 79 next month. She’s up for re-election and, short of serious illness or death, it’s likely she’ll still be in the Senate when she’s 85 and 91 if she wants.

So it’s not exactly a shock that prominent Republican congressmen like Darrell Issa, David Dreier and Dan Lungren have chosen to sit this one out. That has left the field of challengers to 14 Republicans, five Democrats and four minor party candidates — all of whom have zero to little electoral experience or name recognition. In a crowded field of nobodies, getting their party’s endorsement provides an advantage in winning the second spot in the new top-two primary system and its ticket to the general election in November.

The top two system was instituted by Proposition 14 in 2010.  Under it, the top two winners of June 5 primary will face off in November. No other candidates for U.S. Senate will be on the ballot. Assuming Feinstein is the top vote getter, that means just one other person will face her on the ballot, likely a Republican. Third party candidates will be shut out.

The function of the political parties has been reduced to official endorsements.

In March, the California Republican Party endorsed more than 100 candidates for a variety of offices, including for the U.S. Senate. “As the party prepares to be a vigorous contender in California’s first top two primary, we seek to promote the most competitive candidates in the field this primary season,” said Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro in the press release announcing the endorsed candidates.

Elizabeth Emken won the GOP nod as the most competitive candidate to face Feinstein. However, the Danville autism advocate’s only electoral experience is finishing fourth out of four candidates in the 2010 Republican primary in Democratic Rep. Jerry McNerney’s district. Emken received 16.7 percent of the vote. In a district that winds through four counties, Emken didn’t even win her own Contra Costa County, finishing second, just 270 votes ahead of the third-place finisher.

Such a poor showing might be understandable if a candidate were running a token campaign, placing her name in contention for publicity’s sake but doing little campaigning. But Emken ran full out in 2010, spending $456,404 — more than $200,000 of it from her own pocket. That equates to $40 per vote. At that rate Emken would need to raise more than $200 million to best the more than 5 million votes Feinstein gathered in 2006. As of March 31, Emken had raised just more than $300,000. Feinstein’s campaign treasury had more than $7 million on hand.

‘Most competitive candidate’?

So what makes Emken the “most competitive candidate” in the eyes of state GOP officials? One factor is that her senior communications advisor is Mark Standriff, who in January left his position after two years as communications director for the California Republican Party. “Mark has been a tireless member of our senior staff and dedicated himself to improving the CRP’s communications efforts by helping me reach more voters in more corners of our state,” California GOP Chairman Tom Del Beccaro said in a statement upon Standriff’s departure.

In an email interview, I asked Jennifer Kerns, who replaced Standriff as the California GOP communications director, whether it was helpful for Emken in getting the endorsement to have Standriff on her staff. Kerns did not address the question, saying simply, “He was free to consult with any campaign once he departed the CRP.”

Said Standriff in a phone interview, “The only thing it helped is that I am a professional communications director and somebody who has worked on campaigns for years and was able to put together a comprehensive package. I contacted no board members. Frankly, I wish I had that kind of power.”

Standriff said Emken’s experience two years ago in one district’s partisan Republican primary is not relevant to today’s statewide, top-two primary.

“You have to take everything that happened pre-Prop. 14 and throw it out the window,” he said. “All of these other candidates seem to think this is still a partisan primary, and it’s not. It’s open to everybody. That’s why you will see 24 different names on the ballot. So the Republican Party said, ‘Who do we think is the most electable, who has the best chance to get through June 5th and take on Dianne Feinstein?’ Everybody had the chance to present their financial package and show how much money they will be able to raise and present their positions. She’s the only one who has ever gone to Washington D.C. and stood up and said, ‘Enough is enough.’ And that’s a big thing.”

Kerns said Emken’s experience as an autism lobbyist was a major factor in her endorsement.

That was echoed by Jeff Corless, Emken’s campaign manager. He said, “She, unlike the rest of the candidates, not only has business experience and experience helping those truly in need, but also understands the legislative process from day one when she goes back to the Senate, because of her experience in advocacy for autism.”

Endorsement process

Perhaps it’s a case of sour grapes, but several Republican candidates who did not get the endorsement or chose not to participate in the endorsement process, with its $500 buy-in for consideration, have harsh words for the way things went down.

“I believe the Republican Party has committed fraud in its endorsement of Elizabeth Emken by doing so without providing an opportunity for all candidates to be heard,” said Dennis Jackson, an aerospace general manager from Rancho Cucamonga. “Due to the open primary, there were no party debates or any type of debate that was televised.

“I have been a voting Republican since 1968 and would destroy Elizabeth Emken in a debate or in a comparison of backgrounds that would best serve this nation. However, I was never contacted by the Republican Party about any meeting to review my candidacy, policies or background. In making the endorsement in such a manner, the party is playing king-maker and insulting the intelligence of the voters as well as attempting to silence the voice of the candidates that they never even took the time to meet. The party politics seem more in line with the Bolsheviks than the Founding Fathers.”

Disappointment

Also ticked off in Rancho Cucamonga is MBA student Dirk Allen Konopik, who said, “The California Republican Party’s leadership, to include Chairman Tom Del Beccaro, has been a constant disappointment; from their continuous failure to support viable candidates, to the unethical decision to charge U.S. Senate candidates $500 just to consider them for the CRP endorsement. I chose not to pay. It is now very clear to me, after ramping up our U.S. Senate campaign since January 2011, why the Democratic Party controls California. It’s because the CRP is inefficient, ineffective and corrupt. In my opinion, I would rather have the California Federation of Republican Women lead the CRP.”

Also critical is Orly Taitz, the Laguna Niguel attorney who has become known for challenging President Obama’s citizenship.

“The nomination process was a complete fraud, and a number of the candidates are considering suing the corrupt 24 board members,” said Taitz. “Two candidates … talked to the Chair of the Board Tom Del Beccarro and another board member, who told them that the meeting and discussion was just a formality, the decision was already made. So, the Board has collected several thousand dollars from candidates under false pretenses. They used this money to have a nice weekend at a nice hotel and announced the predetermined decision. They defrauded the candidates and the voters.”

Another unhappy candidate is Rick Williams, a Los Angeles attorney.

“I believe the California Republican Party acted improperly by engaging in a process to endorse one candidate in the United States Senate race from a field of 14 good Republicans running for the seat,” he said. “I declined to participate in their disgraceful process. I realized it was a sham and wanted nothing to do with it. The decision as to which candidate should represent the Republican Party against Dianne Feinstein is for voters to make — not a tiny group of insider political operatives at the state party who were trying to tilt the playing field.”

Nachum Shifren, a Santa Monica rabbi, believes the state party snub of his campaign may be an asset: “My chances are helped, since the GOP mafia and good ol’ boys club will never nominate or support a true conservative that threatens the status quo,” he said. “I am having success in precisely distinguishing myself from the other RINO candidates and those that simply won’t take on the difficult issues.”

Kerns dismissed the criticism of the endorsement process, saying, “We provided every candidate the opportunity to be heard, in writing, by phone, and in person. This was to ensure the fairest process.”

If party officials had decided to base their endorsement on the candidate with the best electoral experience, they would have chosen Greg Conlon, a Burlingame CPA.

“I probably have the best chance because I ran statewide in 2002 for state treasurer and received over one million votes in the primary and three million votes in the general election against Phil Angelides, an incumbent,” said Conlon. “Therefore, even though it was 10 years ago, some will remember the name and vote for me now.”

The GOP endorsement may ultimately be irrelevant to the outcome of this year’s election. It’s likely that whoever wins the primary from among the 14 largely unknown and inexperienced Republican candidates will become a sacrificial lamb led to the Feinstein slaughter in November.