With an eye on turning around a dismal record in recent statewide elections, prominent Republicans on Wednesday announced a nonprofit group designed to create a "farm team" of electable candidates.

California Republicans Aligned for Tomorrow will identify and encourage Republicans to run for Senate, governor and statewide offices in 2010 and beyond, said the group's chief executive officer, Duf Sundheim.

Republicans have won only four of 24 statewide elections since 1994, and Sundheim said the goal is to reverse the losing streak by nurturing strong future candidates.

"California history shows that when Republicans field strong candidates with broad appeal, we win elections," said Sundheim, who announced the group's formation in a conference call Wednesday.

Joining Sundheim in the announcement were several prominent state Republicans, including former Gov. Pete Wilson.

"This state is by no means hopeless blue, and I think we've proven that in the past," said Wilson, referring to the color used to identify Democratic states in national political maps.

The group has formed as a nonprofit political organization not subject to fundraising limits or regulation by the state. Addressing a question about whether the arrangement was a way of sidestepping campaign finance rules, Sundheim maintained its nonprofit status rather would result in more transparency.

"We disclose whether I eat at McDonald's or Burger King," he said. "What we're involved in is fully disclosed."

Sundheim also denied a suggestion that the committee's real goal was to handpick moderate, abortion-rights candidates who would be more electable.

"There are different points of view in the Republican Party," he said. "We're going to let primary voters decide their nominees."

Sundheim said group officials will meet every other month to discuss potential candidates.

Among the 11 people launching the group is San Diego Chargers president Dean Spanos, and a $100,000 contribution to help establish the group came from the team, Charger spokesman Bill Johnston said.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, who also attended Wednesday's conference, likened his party to a business with a bright future.

"This is a great time to buy in Republican stock because I think we hit bottom and we're going back to the top," he said.

Jess Durfee, chairman of the San Diego Democratic Party, said he questions why the group is needed.

"Is there such a weakness in the California Republican Party that they have to create a second body to do this?" Durfee said. "I'm on the Democratic Party Voter Services Committee, where one-third of the focus is recruiting partisan officeholders."

Robert Mulholland, campaign adviser for the California Democratic Party, said he wonders why the group is doing a job that he sees as a duty of the state Republican Party. He added that he doubts it will be able to turn around the party's losing record in statewide elections.

"They've got a major problem and they're not going to fix it by putting a side cart on their out-of-gas motorcycle," he said.

Contact staff writer Gary Warth at (760) 740-5410 or gwarth@nctimes.com.