THE BUZZ — VOTING ON THE VOTE: What’s a California Republican Party endorsement worth?

A vote over a vote preoccupied Republican circles as party leadership headed into a decision this weekend on the process for endorsing in the gubernatorial recall. In the end, the CAGOP executive committee unanimously authorized a way for the full body of party delegates to bless a candidate who can get a majority in an August vote. But the debate and the infighting over the party process — and whether to endorse at all — illuminated some internal dissension as the party looks to oust Gov. Gavin Newsom in September.

The non-Kevin-Faulconer Republican candidates had been throwing jabs at the party for weeks, arguing the GOP is planning to anoint its chosen one. Party activists were particularly irked by a proposal to lower the endorsement threshold from 60 percent to a simple majority, although the party ended up backing off the plan and sticking with the higher 60 percent bar. Republican businessman and 2018 runner-up John Cox held a preemptive press conference Friday arguing Faulconer-aligned insiders were manipulating the outcome, fueling continued online sniping between the two campaigns. Former Rep. Doug Ose believes Faulconer’s highly placed allies in the party are steering the process his way.

There’s no doubt Faulconer is the consensus establishment pick. A glance at his list of elected Republican endorsements or maximum contributions from reliable party funders telegraphs as much. The former San Diego mayor (not “retired San Diego mayor”) has built his campaign — and his pitches to donors — on the premise that his victory in a large and diverse city demonstrates his singular ability to stitch together a statewide majority. An endorsement could send that message to voters — and it could also open the spigot of official CAGOP support.

But, particularly with that 60 percent bar in place, all of this ferment could lead to a non-decision. The rules adopted this weekend allow for delegates to vote “no endorsement” in a runoff of finalists. For all Faulconer’s support among party grandees, plenty of the more conservative party loyalists are tepid if not hostile to the centrist former mayor and believe backing him would squander the grassroots enthusiasm that propelled the recall to the ballot in the first place. That fear extends beyond Faulconer to a wariness of the party picking a candidate at all, with some Republicans worried that the appearance of favoritism would alienate the base.

Faulconer’s campaign shifted to argue last week that the downside of Republican infighting outweighs the benefits. A teeming Republican field and the absence of a credible, vote-splitting Democratic challenger increase the imperative of getting behind a single Republican, Faulconer campaign manager Stephen Puetz told POLITICO ahead of weekend votes. “Having an intra-party republican fight over the next two weeks does nothing but benefit Gavin Newsom,” Puetz said. “Even if one person emerges, the net result is it’s much less likely [Newsom] gets recalled because it negatively impacts Republican intensity.”

To that end, it’s worth contemplating how consequential that endorsement really is. Voters will have 24 Republican candidates to choose from on this ballot, a half-dozen in the upper tier, and there’s no established Democrat to siphon off votes. Some voters will be looking for signals like the CAGOP imprimatur on mail pieces. But the ability of political institutions to influence grassroots voters is on the wane, and the enthusiasm greeting talk show host Larry Elder’s late entrance is another signal that an independent following and a platform can carry more clout than the party’s blessing.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Monday morning. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is speaking at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley today, the latest in a conservative speaker series that doubles as a tryout for a certain higher office.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY: “The physical ability to enforce it is not there. I have a district attorney who doesn’t enforce anything in terms of prosecution, so that’s exactly what we’re doing.” L.A. Sheriff Alex Villanueva tells CNN’s Anderson Cooper why he will not enforce a renewed mask mandate and works in a jab at Los Angeles DA George Gascón.

TWEET OF THE DAY: CAGOP official Harmeet Dhillon @pnjaban on the endorsement machinations: “Low blood pressure? I recommend watching a state political party Rules Committee meeting, where the most vicious infighting, back-room dealing, undisclosed conflicts, and special interests lurk, and where ancient grudges are brought back to life. Let the mudslinging commence!”

WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

HEAT FATIGUE — “Californians tired of doing their part during triple-digit heat,” by POLITICO’s Colby Bermel: For years, state officials have counted on residents to rescue the electric grid from collapse by sparing their energy use on the most blistering of days. But during a brutal July heat wave, Californians largely ignored repeat calls for conservation.

Many things go wrong for the system when temperatures soar, heightening the risk of rolling blackouts in the weeks before Gov. Gavin Newsom's September recall election. And state officials, under crushing pressure to keep the lights on in the meantime, now worry they have lost a key arrow in their quiver as heat waves continue to hammer Western states.

DIGITAL LOVE — “He couldn't get over his fiancee's death. So he brought her back as an AI chatbot,” by SFChronicle’s Jason Fagone: “The death of the woman he loved was too much to bear. Could a mysterious website allow him to speak with her once more?”

— “Trump ally Tom Barrack released on $250 million bond, by POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein: Tom Barrack, a wealthy private-equity investor and Trump 2017 inaugural chair who now faces criminal charges of secretly acting as a foreign agent in the U.S. for the United Arab Emirates, was set to be released on bail Friday after prosecutors and his defense reached an agreement for him to pledge $250 million to secure his future appearance.

— “Republican challenger raises more money than Rep. John Garamendi — a first in seven years,” by the Sac Bee’s Katherine Swartz: “GOP candidate Tamika Hamilton raised $103,000 from April 1 to June 30, slightly more than the $99,377 Garamendi pulled in for his 2022 reelection campaign in that quarter.”

— “California Republican who denounced Trump continues to draw GOP cash for upcoming election,” by McClatchy’s David Lightman and Gillian Brassil: “The congressman, Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, regarded as one of the nation’s most vulnerable Republican incumbents, has also been contributing some of his campaign cash to fellow House Republicans.”

— “These five maps show how California is divided between Democrats and Republicans,” by SFChronicle’s Nami Sumida: “California has over 22 million registered voters, an all-time record achieved ahead of the 2020 presidential election. The state’s number of registered voters now surpasses Florida’s entire population. Of the 22 million, about 10 million (or 46%) are Democrat and 5 million (24%) are Republicans.”

— California announces rare cuts to senior water users as drought worsens, by POLITICO’s Debra Kahn: The State Water Resources Control Board's proposed regulation covers some 5,000 users. The rules will include exemptions for human health and safety uses but cities like Sacramento and Folsom could see their supplies cut.

— “An appeals court ruling: California’s school closure rules violated private school families’ rights,” by the SD U-T’s Kristen Taketa: “However the Ninth Circuit appeals court essentially upheld the state’s decision to keep public schools closed to in-person instruction during the pandemic.”

FAULCONER LIABILITY — “Audit finds former mayor and staff misrepresented Ash Street facts, withheld key details from City Council,” by San Diego Union-Tribune’s Jeff McDonald: “Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and his staff withheld information from the City Council and misrepresented facts about multiple properties acquired by the city in public reports or presentations, an independent audit released Thursday concludes. The study issued by the City Auditor’s Office also found that the Faulconer administration failed to conduct proper due diligence before entering real estate deals worth more than $230 million.”

— “Good luck getting a state rebate on your new electric car,” by LATimes’ Russ Mitchell: “...The state rebate programs that aim to make zero-emission vehicles more affordable to Californians have been plagued over the years by erratic funding. Rebate coffers are often left empty for weeks or months at a time, forcing qualified car buyers to draw on reserves of their own patience as the state gets its funding act together.

THEY’RE BA-ACK — “This data makes it official: The San Francisco exodus is over,” by SFChronicle’s Roland Li and Susie Neilson: “The net migration of people leaving San Francisco has fallen to pre-pandemic levels, according to United States Postal Service change of address data analyzed by The Chronicle.”

— “As more workers fall ill, Bay Area restaurateurs weigh a dramatic step: banning the unvaccinated,” by SFChronicle’s Janelle Bitker: “Bay Area restaurants are seeing reservations drop, with diners citing the highly contagious delta variant as their reason for canceling. Fully vaccinated employees are getting sick, forcing temporary closures at a rate that hasn’t been seen since early in the pandemic.”

— “Column: Encampments are dangerous eyesores, but they’re the only community homeless people know,” by LATimes’ Frank Shyong: “Residents say encampments are often dangerous fire traps where drug use and violence are rampant, and that’s often true. But I think these encampments, though deeply flawed, are also examples of homeless people attempting to meet their own needs and make their own homes. What if the encampments could offer clues that could help us end homelessness?”

— ‘Deadly serious’: Pelosi goes to war with GOP over Jan. 6, by POLITICO’s Heather Caygle and Sarah Ferris: As much as some in her party might want to move on from Trump, the speaker has made overseeing an investigation of the deadliest attack on the Capitol in two centuries into a core mission this year — putting her squarely in the path of the former president who Democrats say played a central role in the insurrection.

— “Unlikely partners Pelosi and Cheney team up for Jan. 6 probe,” by AP’s Lisa Mascaro: “Rarely has there been a meeting of the minds like this — two of the strongest women on Capitol Hill, partisans at opposite ends of the political divide — bonding over a shared belief that the truth about the insurrection should come out and those responsible held accountable. They believe no less than the functioning of America’s democracy is on the line.”

— Pelosi taps Kinzinger to serve on Jan. 6 select panel, by POLITICO’s Jesse Naranjo and Olivia Beavers.

— House Freedom Caucus asks McCarthy to try to remove Pelosi as speaker, by POLITICO’s Olivia Beavers.

— “Facebook Says 'Death to Khamenei' Posts Are OK for the Next Two Weeks,” by Vice’s Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai: “Facebook has told Iranian activists that it will allow people to post the words "Death to Khamenei" or feature video of people saying or chanting this phrase for a limited two-week period of time in a bizarre choice that highlights Facebook's power and often confusing content moderation rules.”

— “Does Hollywood Have an Overtime Problem?” by Hollywood Reporter’s Ashley Cullins: “California labor officials and industry attorneys say convoluted rules and a lack of awareness could mean many salaried employees are misclassified as exempt from overtime, which is "a very serious wage theft issue.’”

— “Case dropped, passport in hand, Chinese scientist flying back to China. Here's how it happened.” by SacBee’s Sam Stanton.

— “Trevor Bauer’s team moves to quash subpoenas after restraining order hearing is delayed,” by LATimes’ Steve Henson and Iliana Limón Romero.

— “Nyjah Huston's Long, Strange Skateboard Trip to the Olympics,” by NYTimes’ John Branch.

— “SF Museum of Ice Cream has permanently closed,” by San Francisco Business Times Alex Barreira.

— Mary Nichols, former head of the California Air Resources Board, has joined the Veloz board of directors.

SUNDAY: Arit John

IN MEMORIAM: Former Assemblyman Dan Logue has died. He represented AD-3 from 2008 to 2014.

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