NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Vacaville Resident and Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. Rick Tubbs, a candidate in California’s newly reconfigured Third Congressional District, has reportedly pulled off a stunning upset in votes taken by the district’s eight Republican central committees.

The central committees in the far-reaching district had until March 10 to make their endorsements for candidates official.

The Sacramento County Central Committee was the last to vote for an endorsement and that happened Thursday, March 8. The final vote was 14 for Tubbs and 14 for Colusa County Supervisor Kim Vann.

Among other central committees, Tubbs handily won the endorsements in Solano and Yuba counties. Van won the endorsement in Yolo County. Lake County, along with Sacramento County, tied.

Three counties – Sutter, Colusa and Glenn – did not attempt to endorse.

“It’s important to note that Ms. Vann could not gain the endorsement of her own county of Colusa,” Tubbs said.

In the final analysis, the central committees’ delegate count was 50 for Tubbs and 29 for Vann.

Tubbs credits the delegate counts to six months of extensive campaigning throughout the district.

Tubbs and his wife Kristy and an army of volunteers have made numerous campaign trips throughout the eight-county district, which includes parts of Solano, Lake, Sacramento and Glenn, and all of Yuba, Yolo, Sutter and Colusa.

“We are gratified that in spite of all of Ms. Vann’s money and establishment endorsements that she could not get the support of the front line Republicans in our central committees,” Tubbs said.

Tubbs added that his campaign has already pivoted to reaching out to mainstream voters.

To that end, the campaign is setting up a large number of town hall meetings throughout the district.

The first will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 14 at Dixon’s Veterans Memorial Hall, 1305 N. First St.

“We encourage anyone and everyone to attend our town hall meetings,” Tubbs says. “It will give voters the chance to meet me up close and personal to hear by views on the myriad of issues facing our country today,” he said. “I also will be available to answer any and all questions.”
    
A second town hall meeting is scheduled between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 15, at  Lakeside Lanes and Family Fun Center, 2495 Parallel Drive, Lakeport.

The winner of the June 5 primary will likely face off against Democrat John Garamendi in the November general election.

Tubbs noted that because of the reconfiguration of the district, the election is predicted to be very close.

“It used to be that the district was heavily registered as Democratic,” Tubbs said. “However, due to the reconfiguration the number of Democrats, Republicans and Independents is fairly equal. As each day goes by we become more and more confident we can win.”