California Delegation Descends on Cleveland for GOP Convention

The Republican National Convention got started in Cleveland Monday, and the California delegation showed up in force. State party Vice Chair Harmeet Dhillon has highlighted the diversity of this year's delegation. But she says she doesn't want to put people in ethnic and racial boxes.

"The demographic is 100 percent American red, white and blue!" she said.

The delegation started its day with breakfast, where Rep. Tom McClintock told the crowd the primary let working people have their say, and it's "tough" if the "royal families" of the GOP don't like it. He got a standing ovation.

While the 341-member California delegation is staying 60 miles outside of Cleveland, it arrived at the convention in style. A police escort led a convoy of about a half-dozen buses from the Kalahari Resort near Sandusky to Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland.

Inside, the delegation held firm in the face of rebellious efforts from other states to derail the GOP's presidential nomination of Donald Trump. The controversial business mogul won every congressional district in California and thus won all of the state's delegates and alternates. And while the Golden State delegation nearly needed a passport to travel from its hotel, at least California has a spot right in front of the speaker's podium.

Despite anticipated protests, the situation was mostly calm outside the arena. Though there were scattered protests, a heavy police presence kept them largely away from the convention and few confrontations were reported by media outlets. That could change later in the week as Trump's acceptance speech draws closer.