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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2021
CONTACT: Randall Avila
PHONE: (714) 453-0900


Chairman Fred M. Whitaker reelected with Experienced and Grassroots Executive Committee

"Last night I was honored to be elected to my 4th term as Republican Party of Orange County Chairman.

As Chairman for the last 6 years, I cannot tell you how proud I am of our volunteers, our donors and our staff that put in the extra effort, adapted to unusual circumstances, and over came the challenges of 2020. Together, and with continuity of leadership, we will over come the challenges of 2021.

We will be bold. We will not be feint of heart. We will not despair.

Our party survived the Civil War, a 3rd party run in 1912, being blamed for the Great Depression, Watergate, a 3rd party run in 1992, and the last 4 years of bogus attacks. We will survive the terrible events and votes in the House these past weeks. We stand for the Constitution and that is timeless! We condemn both the siege on the Capitol and the big tech censorship in its wake. We know that our purpose is to preserve the Republic - not through might or mob, but by winning elections.

Republicans nationwide have more governorships, more state legislatures, an even split in the Senate, and are only 5 seats away from a Majority in the House. These were successes in 2020 that no one talks about. In Orange County we contributed to that success by winning back two US House seats. Those victories were due to intense team work with thousands of our volunteers, our Republican clubs, our donors, the Lincoln Club, the New Majority, the NRCC and the California Republican Party.

While we lost two State Senate seats and an Assembly seat by very close margins, I am confident that with redistricting, the recall of Gavin Newsom and a united Republican effort we will gain back House and Legislative seats. This optimism, as well as an obligation to the donors and volunteers that gave their all this year encouraged me to seek reelection and finish the work. It takes relationship building, persuasion and management to bring the teams together. I will bring these skills to the table for another two years.

Leadership and the work of our party require much more than one person. They require a team. We had a dedicated team on the Executive Committee these last 4 years, and I thank each of them. We now have a new Central Committee and many of the members are new. It is only fitting that the Officers and Committee Chairs for the next two years reflect the addition of several new members and new ideas. In addition to being re-elected as your Chairman, I am proud to have been elected with a slate of experienced political tacticians and fresh grassroots leaders.

John Park, 1st Vice Chairman (Irvine) – John is the Chairman of the Greater Irvine Republicans, a small business owner and former Irvine City Council candidate.

TJ Fuentes, 2nd Vice Chairman (Newport Beach) – TJ brings youth and a legacy of knowledge to the party. He has served previously in this position and is a trusted right hand. Fuentes is a small business owner and son of former longtime Chairman Tom Fuentes.

Erik Weigand, Treasurer (Newport Beach) – Erik knows the Republican Party inside and out. He previously served as Treasurer and twice served as Executive Director. He has also served as Deputy Chief of Staff for a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, a District Director for two members of the California State Legislature and as a City Planning Commissioner for Newport Beach.

Gisela Contreras, Secretary (Santa Ana) – Gisela is a strong activist and volunteer for our Republican candidates. As a former candidate herself, she knows how critical volunteer recruitment and recognition is. She will lead our volunteer efforts.

Anthony Johnson, Assistant Treasurer (Yorba Linda) – Anthony is a legislative staff member for Assemblyman Phillip Chen, Board Member of the Orange County Log Cabin Republicans and Traffic Commissioner for Yorba Linda.

Tim Whitacre, Sargent at Arms (Santa Ana) – Tim has served in this role for 6 years. He is a longstanding activist and volunteer. Whitacre is a veteran and a longtime staff member at the County of Orange.

Hon. Kermit D. Marsh, Esq., Parliamentarian and General Counsel (Westminster) – Kermit has served 3 Chairmen in this role and formerly served on the Westminster City Council. He is fair, no non-sense and brings invaluable legal and political guidance to the organization.

Hon. Craig Young (Yorba Linda) – Craig is a former Yorba Linda Councilmember and attorney. He will continue to lead as our Annual Flag Day Salute Chairman.

Kelly Ernby (Huntington Beach) – Kelly is a Deputy District Attorney and former candidate for State Assembly. She ran a grassroots campaign that attracted new volunteers and faces to the party. Ernby will lead our Precinct Operations and Voter Registration committees.

Ray Gennaway (Laguna Niguel) – Ray is a Deputy District Attorney and former candidate for United States Congress. He serves as Vice-Chairman of the Greater Irvine Republicans and is an incredible precinct organizer. He will join Kelly is leading our Precinct Operations and Voter Registration committees.

Hon. Jeffrey Barke, MD (Rossmoor/Los Alamitos) – Jeffrey is a physician and former Los Alamitos Unified School District board member. He will lead our Endorsements Committee and candidate recruitment efforts. His wife Mari Barke is Chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Education.

I appreciate the support all of you give every day to our cause. It has been my privilege to serve on this Committee of dedicated volunteers for over 20 years and be your volunteer Chairman for the last 6 years. I ask you to join our cause as we fight for our country and our county.

On to Victory!

Sincerely,
Fred M. Whitaker
Chairman, Republican Party of Orange County
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