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Remembering Michael Escoto: Data, Devotion, Socks

By Roger Riffenburgh

The California Republican Party has recognized and honored Michael Escoto, one of its key leaders, after his recent passing.  Escoto, a pioneer and innovator in political information technology, is celebrated at the CRP headquarters and with a program for people in need.

Michael Escoto was the Deputy Executive Director and Chief Data and Digital Officer of the state party.  Bryan Watkins, the CRP’s Chief Operating Officer & Executive Director, said that Escoto created the CRP’s Digital program from scratch.  It includes the digital fundraising program, a new revenue stream for the party, and CARES (the California Republican Engagement System), which connects with volunteers.  He also led development of the CRP’s Election Integrity hub, which provides statewide support and reporting for voter integrity matters.

Michael Escoto grew up in Northern California (in Elk Grove) and studied political science at the University of Southern California, where he was active in the AGO fraternity.  He worked in a series of political jobs, including absentee ballot director in Nevada, CRP deputy political director in 2010, senior digital strategist at the National Republican Congressional Committee, and director of analytics at the RNC and the Trump campaign in 2016.  Bryan Watkins said that Escoto “played a pivotal role in electing Donald Trump.”  He later took what he had learned and brought it back to California to help the CRP and Chairwoman Jessica Patterson, a good friend.  Watkins, a close friend, said that Mike Escoto was also excellent at developing people’s talents.  His legacy includes dramatically expanding the capability of the CRP and expanding the pool of data and digital political operatives.

Mike Escoto died unexpectedly on October 13th.  The family has not disclosed the cause of death.  The CRP held a celebration of life to remember him.  They designated the room where he held brainstorming sessions as the Michael Escoto Collaboration Space.  They also named the media studio the Escoto Media Room.  (See the tribute video.)

In addition, in memory of him, the CRP started Mike Escoto’s Winter Warmup Sock Drive to gather socks for people in need.  Mike Escoto loved new socks and wore a new pair every day, justifying this habit by saying he spent less than the average person spends on coffee.  The goal is to collect 14,860 socks – for the number of days that Michael was with us, plus one day to pay it forward.  Donors may drop new socks off at a collection center, send them to the CRP office, or contribute to the sock fund.  Bay Area collection centers are the Contra Costa GOP HQ in Walnut Creek and the Santa Clara County GOP HQ in San Jose.  Click here for details.

 

Remembering Michael Escoto: Data, Devotion, Socks

By Roger Riffenburgh

The California Republican Party has recognized and honored Michael Escoto, one of its key leaders, after his recent passing.  Escoto, a pioneer and innovator in political information technology, is celebrated at the CRP headquarters and with a program for people in need.

Michael Escoto was the Deputy Executive Director and Chief Data and Digital Officer of the state party.  Bryan Watkins, the CRP’s Chief Operating Officer & Executive Director, said that Escoto created the CRP’s Digital program from scratch.  It includes the digital fundraising program, a new revenue stream for the party, and CARES (the California Republican Engagement System), which connects with volunteers.  He also led development of the CRP’s Election Integrity hub, which provides statewide support and reporting for voter integrity matters.

Michael Escoto grew up in Northern California (in Elk Grove) and studied political science at the University of Southern California, where he was active in the AGO fraternity.  He worked in a series of political jobs, including absentee ballot director in Nevada, CRP deputy political director in 2010, senior digital strategist at the National Republican Congressional Committee, and director of analytics at the RNC and the Trump campaign in 2016.  Bryan Watkins said that Escoto “played a pivotal role in electing Donald Trump.”  He later took what he had learned and brought it back to California to help the CRP and Chairwoman Jessica Patterson, a good friend.  Watkins, a close friend, said that Mike Escoto was also excellent at developing people’s talents.  His legacy includes dramatically expanding the capability of the CRP and expanding the pool of data and digital political operatives.

Mike Escoto died unexpectedly on October 13th.  The family has not disclosed the cause of death.  The CRP held a celebration of life to remember him.  They designated the room where he held brainstorming sessions as the Michael Escoto Collaboration Space.  They also named the media studio the Escoto Media Room.  (See the tribute video.)

In addition, in memory of him, the CRP started Mike Escoto’s Winter Warmup Sock Drive to gather socks for people in need.  Mike Escoto loved new socks and wore a new pair every day, justifying this habit by saying he spent less than the average person spends on coffee.  The goal is to collect 14,860 socks – for the number of days that Michael was with us, plus one day to pay it forward.  Donors may drop new socks off at a collection center, send them to the CRP office, or contribute to the sock fund.  Bay Area collection centers are the Contra Costa GOP HQ in Walnut Creek and the Santa Clara County GOP HQ in San Jose.  Click here for details.

 

LIST OF UPCOMING GOP EVENTS

View more details for events on the Calendar of Upcoming Events or view the Monthly Calendar of Events.

CA Redistricting Commission Proposes Districts, Seeks Comments

The California Citizens Redistricting Commission is seeking input on the proposed districts for California State Senate, Assembly and U.S. Congress.  The proposed districts were made available in mid-November and must be finalized prior to December 27.

These districts followed several different “visualizations” in which districts were posted and then modified in response to feedback.  The Commission has developed an online District Viewer where one can view both existing and proposed districts.

Feedback on proposed districts can be given in a variety of ways via the California Redistricting Commission website or during meetings as they are scheduled.  The Commission’s website contains an online comment form at wedrawthelinesca.org

In addition, the Commission has provided specialized tools to allow citizens to give more precise feedback on how lines should be drawn.  DrawMyCalifornia.org has online tools to allow citizens to

  • Describe and submit a community of interest, or
  • Draw and submit a proposed district for consideration by the Commission

Preliminary analysis of the proposed districts indicates that there will be significant changes from the districts used in the past decade.  In previous cycles, new district lines have prompted retirements of incumbent legislators as well as opportunities for new candidates to serve.  Already, one member of Congress from San Mateo County, Jackie Speier has announced her retirement.

Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-San Bernardino County), in a presentation to the California Congress of Republicans, advised observers not to draw too many conclusions from the proposed lines as they may well change based on public comment.

One thing we know for sure is that the number of California Congressional Districts will decrease by one from 53 to 52.

The currently scheduled meetings of the Commission are shown on the events list with a link to enable online streaming.

California Citizens Redistricting Commission – District Viewer

The Commission has developed a district viewer that allows you to more easily navigate visualizations and zoom in and out of geographic areas while layering congressional, State Senate and Assembly boundaries.

District Viewer Tool

In the News

Voter tsunami begins to drown Democrats

By: Newt Gingrich
foxnews.com
November 21, 2021

Big earthquakes offshore in Alaska or Chile lead Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders to worry about tsunamis coming from thousands of miles away. People take precautions. They move to higher ground. Faced with a real threat, Hawaiians prepare to make major changes to survive.

Apparently, Hawaiians are more interested in survival than Washington Democrats.

Democrats have now had three weeks of tsunami warnings, and the dictatorship of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., seems determined to force through trillions of dollars of additional spending and a host of radical woke policies – even though the American people are screaming, “No!”

Read More

Parents are taking on the Leviathan

By: Jon Coupal
dailybulletin.com
November 14, 2021

7th-century theorist Thomas Hobbes argued that members of any distinct society must subject themselves to an absolute sovereign as the only way to preserve their own lives and security. His book, “Leviathan,” reflected the political world view of the age. Proving him wrong was a small group of Puritans who established a tiny colony near what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The term Leviathan as used today in political discourse simply means a large, oppressive government or force, much like the Old Testament monster from which it derives its name. And even though the United States is based on the anti-Hobbesian theory of consent of the governed, there remain large forces that demand submission from citizens.

One of those large forces is the education establishment found both at the state and federal level. Large bureaucracies backed by powerful labor organizations have a vice-like grip on how our children are taught and what they are taught.

Read More

California confronts crime uptick

calmatters.org
November 1, 2021

Three indications that crime will likely be a top issue for many California voters in the 2022 elections:

  • Los Angeles’ 2021 homicide rate is already 17% higher than it was in 2020 — when the city saw a decade high of 355 killings — and a whopping 49% higher than it was in 2019. As of Oct. 18, the city had logged 320 homicides — putting it on track to potentially top 400 killings for the first time since 2006. The surge in murders has increased homicide detectives’ workload, resulting in less cases being solved. Meanwhile, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is warning that the county’s vaccine mandate will result in a “mass exodus” of law enforcement officers, increasing “dangers to public safety.”
  • A Safeway grocery store in San Francisco is limiting its hours due to what one supervisor described as “out of control” shoplifting. The move comes a few weeks after Walgreens announced plans to close five San Francisco stores because of “organized retail crime.” Although police data casts doubt on that claim, the closures have fueled the perception that San Francisco is overrun by crime — and the city itself is hoping that its requirement for municipal employees to return to the office starting today will help make downtown seem busier and safer.
  • California’s beleaguered bullet train project has cut through disadvantaged San Joaquin Valley communities, displacing homes, businesses and residents and fueling drug deals and crimes in certain areas, the Los Angeles Times reports. For example, after the high-speed rail authority paid the city of Wasco to relocate a farmworkers’ housing site, the vacant units turned into a crime scene. “Many of the units have been set on fire. There are homeless folks there, others hiding out, doing drug deals and storing stolen goods,” said city manager Scott Hurlbert.

Read More

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