Former President Donald Trump speaks at California GOP Convention

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KGTV) — The biggest names in the Republican Party were in Southern California Friday night as the California GOP Convention in Anaheim drew presidential candidates, including former President Donald Trump.

ABC 10News reporter Spencer Soicher was in the room for Trump's speech, and he explained why California is so coveted in the 2024 race.

The convention was held just up the street from Disneyland. Supporters of the former president gathered outside of the venue, eagerly awaiting Trump's appearance.

His speech took place several months before Primary Day in the state. California is part of Super Tuesday this March, in which roughly a third of the delegates will be handed out that night. California has 169 delegates, more than any other state.

The former president took aim at California and its leaders during his speech, as he made the case to be the Republican nominee in 2024.

Reaching Republican voters in California may be more important now than ever before. That's because the Republican Party of the state recently changed its rules: If a candidate is able to get more than 50% of the vote in the primary, they take home all of the delegates instead of having to divvy them up.

Trump pulled no punches, criticizing elected democrats from the state: Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Vice President Kamala Harris and Rep. Adam Schiff to name a few. Through much of his speech, he attacked Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and his potential future political aspirations.

"Gavin has become crooked Joe Biden's surrogate, because he doesn't think Biden is going to make it," Trump said. "Does anybody think he is going to make it to the starting gate?"

As recently as Wednesday night, Newsom said he was not running for president in 2024, putting his support behind Biden.

Trump was not the only speaker at the convention.

Florida Gov. Ron Desantis, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and Vivek Ramaswamy made appearances as well. All of them declined ABC 10News' requests for interviews. However, none of the other Republican candidates appear to have the backing nationally yet that Trump has, and it was especially evident in the room at the state party convention.