‘Complete chaos’: How a Republican would govern Democratic California

“…What would happen if a conservative Republican became governor of deep blue California?

For the Republicans vying to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, winning September’s recall race could prove easier than governing a state that’s become the cornerstone of America’s liberal agenda.

Any Republican who succeeds Newsom would be parachuting into hostile political territory. Democrats command two-thirds majorities in the state Legislature that allow them to override vetoes without a single Republican vote. The state’s biggest cities are run by Democrats. And all would be aiming to drive the new governor out of office in next year’s general election.

But a Republican executive could fight back through unilateral action, uprooting the state’s vast government bureaucracy, freezing spending and issuing sweeping edicts with a swipe of the pen.

Expect a year of political bedlam.

“It would be complete chaos, and government would come to a virtual standstill,” said Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, a former state Senate leader who headed the Democratic caucus during Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s tenure…”