At first, I did not want to meet with Lee but his aide kept at me and said you have to meet him. As the president of the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce, I have the pleasure of meeting with many politicians. The thought of upending a 5-term incumbent Congressman, particularly in the Republican Primary, seemed too big of a battle. Plus, I like Gary Miller. I agreed to meet for 10 minutes which turned into 2 hours. Lee was a breath of fresh air and his facts and passion were dead-on. Lee asked me at the end of our meeting "If you were in my shoes, what would you do to win." I told him the truth "Do exactly what you did today...you've enlightened me. You do that to enough people and you will win."
This is a good endorsement for McGroarty but a surprising move by Ronquillo. Usually Chamber of Commerce staff, who serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors, don't make political endorsements. Why? Because Ronquillo needs to be able to work with Congressman Gary Miller and his staff. For example, the Chamber is hosting an event with Congressman Miller next week.
It should be noted that Miller has the highest lifetime U.S. Chamber of Commerce rating in the California delegation.
Note: Miller is a six term Congressman not five term as noted in the quote.
I like Andy but this is a dumb move. Lee won't win and his move will hurt the Chamber's relationship with Miller.
ReplyDelete