Travis Ethan Allen (born September 14, 1973) is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the California State Assembly. Allen was first elected in November 2012 to represent California's 72nd State Assembly district, which includes the cities of Fountain Valley, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Westminster, most of Garden Grove, portions of Huntington Beach and of Santa Ana, and the unincorporated communities of Midway and Rossmoor.
Early life and education Travis Allen was born in San Diego, California, and was raised in Chula Vista, California. He is an avid short board surfer, and he participated with 65 other people in a world-record setting ride for the most number of riders on a single surf board. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from California State University, Long Beach.Travis Allen's Biography
Business career Travis Allen is a Certified Financial Planner and has managed client investment accounts since 1996. He has owned a financial advisory and wealth management practice, the Wealth Strategies Group, since 2001.
California State Assembly In 2012, Allen began his political career by running for California State Assembly's 72nd district. The seat was open due to term limits. He finished second in the June primary with 19.9% of the vote, trailing establishment Republican frontrunner Los Alamitos City Councilman Troy Edgar, who won 28% of the vote. In the general election Allen surpassed Edgar by an 11.4% margin. Under recently passed Proposition 14 this was the first California election to take place under a nonpartisan blanket primary, in which the top two candidates advanced to the general election, regardless of party preference.
Electoral history
2018 California gubernatorial election
Background Allen unsuccessfully ran for Governor of California in the 2018 election. He announced his candidacy in June 2017. Incumbent Jerry Brown was unable to run at the end of his term due to term limits.
Allen came in fourth place in California's open primary where the top two candidates get on the ballot in the November election. He had 440,409 votes, or 9.2% of the overall vote, trailing the leading candidate Democrat Gavin Newsom by over one million votes and trailing Republican rival John Cox by 800,000 votes.
Campaign
Allen ran on a campaign based on populist, conservative, anti-establishment themes, much like President Donald Trump used in his 2016 Presidential campaign, and he is considered to be "California's Trump."The Times Editorial Board (April 24, 2018). http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-travis-allen-20180424-story.html/ "The California governor's race has its own version of Trump. Let's not let history repeat itself". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 28, 2018. He has used the slogans "Take Back California" and "Make California Great Again" for his campaign.
Allen is considered by many to be a controversialPhil Willon (June 22, 2017). http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-travis-allen-a-conservative-and-1498154160-htmlstory.html/ "Travis Allen, a conservative and controversial Orange County lawmaker, jumps into California governor's race". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 4, 2018.Seema Mehta (February 2, 2018). http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-gop-gubernatorial-candidate-travis-allen-1517612326-htmlstory.html "GOP gubernatorial candidate Travis Allen calls release of sexual harassment complaint 'a political attack'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 4, 2018. politician and candidate for California governor due to his far-right populist politics, for being an outspoken proponent of Donald Trump, for a sexual harassment allegation made against Allen by a former coworker (in which he was given a verbal warning but not disciplined for) in 2013, and for making many disputed public statements.
He has stated that he was running on a platform of spurring job creation and business growth by cutting California's high tax rate; using existing tax revenues to fix the state's deteriorating freeway and road infrastructure, opposing California's gas tax, and preventing future water shortages by increasing water storage capacity and completing the landmark California Water Project.Del Pilar, William (August 24, 2017). "Candidates for governor: John Cox, Travis Allen and Stasyi Barth". Valley Roadrunner. Retrieved 29 November 2018. He proposed redacting recently implemented laws (AB 109, Proposition 47, and Proposition 57). He states they are responsible for an uptick in violent crime rates in California. However, there has not been an uptick in violent crime, and in fact it has been decreasing. The nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found crime to be at a historic low.
Allen used his efforts to repeal the SB 1 gas tax increase and his opposition to illegal immigration as key stances in his campaign. He also supports more "tough-on-crime" policing measures and additional water support for Central California Valley farmers.
On May 1, 2018, Allen spoke at a California Republican primary forum in Atascadero, California. Allen delivered his opening speech, stating that he wants to undo recent voter-enacted soft on crime laws and promised to "get rid of the state-mandated Common Core [educational curriculum]."
During his campaigning for California governor and subsequently, Allen has repeatedly made many disputed statements to the public and media. He has been criticized by pundits and fact-checking sites for these claims. He has made claims on the Oroville Dam regarding water capturing measures he wants to implement if elected, about high crime rates in California, and about the so-called "sanctuary laws" in California. In 2018, Allen made the claim that a new bill in California would "literally" "ban the sale of the Bible", a claim he has repeated despite having been fact-checked by several media outlets. He has also made the claim multiple times that California legalized child prostitution.
While campaigning he made the promise that if he gets elected governor that "every Californian will have a green lawn and take long showers."
Allen was criticized for missing several days of work at the California State Assembly while he was out campaigning.
After losing in the primary elections, Allen didn't immediately endorse his Republican rival John Cox, but eventually decided to do so in July 2018. He also said that he wants his supporters to "stand up and fight" to "take back California". He started the Take Back California Political Action Committee.
Campaign funding Midway through his campaign for California Governor, in 2017 Allen raised $447,236 for his campaign and had expenditures of $654,602 during that time according to an official campaign filing. After Allen lost the Primary, his most recent campaign finance records showed $37,539 cash on hand and $17,866 in unpaid bills. In 2018, fundraising efforts and campaign finance reports show his top contributors were "individual donations" and "other donations" (small donations under $200.00), according to Vote Smart.Vote Smart, , ‘’Vote Smart’’, 2018
Polling According to RealClear Politics, Travis Allen ranked 4th in the Gubernatorial race for Governor
During his annual Commonwealth Club lecture on May 2, 2018, Willie Brown said Allen's candidacy represented "The greatest threat to the Democratic front runner, Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom."
A Berkeley IGS Poll from April 2018 showed Allen and his opponent, Cox, going head to head for 2nd place with the scores of 18% (Cox) and 16% (Allen) within the poll's margin of error of ±4% points.
In May 2018, at the California Republican Party Convention in San Diego, John Cox received 55.3% of the delegates' votes while Allen received 40.5% of the delegates' votes. Neither candidate was able to reach the 60% threshold set by the California Republican Party for an official endorsement. In a Berkeley IGS Poll from December 2017, it showed Allen tied at 9 percent with Republican John Cox.
Results
Later political activities In February 2018, Travis was accused of several sexual harassment allegations during this time as a state assemblyman, a claim which he vehemently denied as being politically motivated, stating “I’m sure I’ve shaken many people’s hands, tapped many people on the shoulder, and have even tapped people’s feet accidentally. But there has never been anything in any of my actions that has been inappropriate, and nor will there ever be.” On November 15, 2018, Allen announced his candidacy for the chairmanship of the California Republican Party. "For too long, the California Republican establishment has told us that we must look more like Democrats in order to be elected in the state of California," Allen said, adding that "This sort of backwards thinking has lost seats and races across the state to where, today, the Republican party is at the lowest point it's been since the 1880s."Phil Willon, “Assemblyman Travis Allen announces bid for chairman of the California GOP,” ,’The Los Angeles Times', November 15, 2018 He lost to Jessica Milan Patterson, who became the state party's first female leader.
Political positions Abortion Allen has described himself as pro-life.Allen stated that his low scores from Planned Parenthood were due to his pro-life values. Speech made at the California Republican Party Convention in San Diego on May 5th, timestamp 30:55 He received a 0% score from Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California in 2013, 2015, and 2017.
In 2014 Allen received a 55% score from Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California. On this scorecard he was ranked positively for his support of AB 1755 (which mandated a 15-day limit to notify the Department of Public Health of a breach of patient data), AB 1841 (which expanded the definition of “technical supportive services” who are allowed to handle medication), AB 2051 (which streamlined the Medi-Cal enrollment process), and SB857 (an omnibus health bill). Allen opposed SB 1053 (contraceptives and health care coverage) and SB 1094 (sale of assets in non-profit health care facilities).
In 2016 Allen received a 67% score from Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California. He was scored positively for voting yes on AB 1561, a bill which proposed to "exempt from those taxes the gross receipts from the sale in this state of, and the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of, tampons, sanitary napkins, menstrual sponges, and menstrual cups"; and SB 999, a bill intended to require that health insurance companies "cover up to a 12-month supply of FDA-approved, self-administered hormonal contraceptives".
Death penalty "The only major-party candidate to support the death penalty is Assemblyman Travis Allen, R-Huntington Beach (Orange County), who said it was 'absolutely necessary in cases where heinous crimes have been committed.' He said he would deny commutation to any condemned inmate who had been 'rightfully convicted and sentenced'." He is also critical of the high yearly cost associated with preserving the lives of over 700 people who are on death row in California prisons.
Education Allen has stated that he opposes mandatory full-day kindergarten, because he believes that children are being indoctrinated by "liberal curriculum". Allen wants to end Common Core's application at the state level, instead allowing local districts to set their own curricula.
Environment