BLAINE, Minn. - California Republicans have a stronger chance of success when the party is unified from the governor on down, State Sen. Dick Ackerman (R-Tustin) believes.

Ackerman, a delegate attending the Republican National Convention and a former state Senate Republican leader, said some party members believe that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't do enough to help fellow GOP politicians running for statewide office in 2006.

As a result, Ackerman said, the party lost races for secretary of state and controller that they might have otherwise won. Only Steve Poizner won an open statewide seat as a Republican that year, defeating Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante for insurance commissioner.

Ackerman also discussed 2008 races, and said that if U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) campaigns for president in California, as he said he will, it will boost Republican chances in the handful of competitive legislative races.

"His particular attributes fit California better than just about any other presidential candidate that was out there," Ackerman said. "I think he can really help us this fall."

The Central Valley and San Diego, both of which have competitive races, are also areas where McCain is popular, Ackerman added.

Some of the GOP delegation participated in a golf fundraiser Thursday morning to raise money for legislative races this fall.

The group included both Ackerman and Assemblyman Van Tran (R-Garden Grove), a day after Gov. Schwarzenegger criticized lawmakers in both parties for "taking vacations" while the state budget remains unfinished.

Ackerman said that he's in touch with his staff back in Sacramento, but there's little any legislator who's not on the budget committee or a caucus leader can do at the moment.

"Whatever I need, I'm getting the information," said Ackerman, who did not expect a budget vote to happen this week. "If I were still Senate Republican Leader, I'd be back there."

He was confident the budget would be passed without new taxes, though legislative Democrats may have underestimated his party's resolve on that issue.

"In the last four or five years, they didn't even raise the ‘t' word," he said. "I think because the budget is down this year they thought we might go for it.

"I think we just spend too much money."

How 2008's races turn out will play a role in how 2010 takes shape, Ackerman said.

If McCain does well in California, that will help the party's chances of keeping the governor's seat then, even if U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) wins California's electoral votes, he said.

“We’ll have some good candidates,” he said. “A lot of times, people don’t get involved until it gets closer, and everyone’s working on the presidential race right now.”