Neel Kashkari almost certainly will lose to Gov. Jerry Brown next week, but political experts say he could leave a lasting mark on how California Republicans run for office.
Kashkari is a 41-year-old Indo-American atop the ticket of a party often seen as old, white and struggling for relevance in the increasingly diverse Golden State. He has focused on anti-poverty messages and framed improvement of public schools as a civil rights issue — unusual in a party long associated with trickle-down economics and school vouchers. He favors same-sex marriage, abortion rights and background checks for all gun purchases.
