Former San Diego City Councilman, Radio Host Carl DeMaio Announces Run For Assembly

Former San Diego City Councilman and current radio host Carl DeMaio announced that he will be running for the 75th District Assembly seat on Wednesday, facing off against two other Republicans in the hope of replacing term-limited Assemblywoman Marie Waldron (R-Valley Center).

A graduate of Georgetown University, DeMaio founded a for-profit planning and management training think tank, and a financial and management training company. During this time, in 2002, DeMaio also moved to San Diego and joined the Reason Foundation. After selling both of his companies in 2007, DeMaio turned towards politics. The following year he ran for the San Diego City Council and won, becoming the first openly gay City Council member in San Diego history.

For the next four years, DeMaio became known as a major fiscal challenger on the Council, as well as major proponent of government transparency. While he passed many laws on the latter subject, he soon became an enemy of many in labor due to him trying to get around unions when outsourcing city contracts. This included his long-time rival Lorena Gonzalez, a future Assemblywoman and current California Labor Federation leader.

Unable to win reelection in 2012, DeMaio spent the next decade staying within the political arena while not holding any office. In addition to becoming a radio host in 2015, DeMaio tried and failed to win in several elections. In 2012 he ran for Mayor, but lost to then-Congressman Bob Filner 52.5% to 47.5%. Two years later, DeMaio ran for Congress and, only weeks before the election, was up over Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA) in polls. However, in late October, DeMaio faced numerous sexual harassment allegations, hurting his campaign. While ultimately cleared, DeMaio wound up ultimately losing narrowly to Peters 51.5% to 48.5%. Another run for Congress in 2020 resulted in a primary loss, although his support for Republican Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) did help him win election in November.

DeMaio’s latest run for office

While DeMaio did see some successes, such as his effort to recall Democratic State Senator Josh Newman succeeding in 2018, DeMaio hasn’t returned to elected office since the end of his City Council office in 2012. However, with Assemblywoman Waldron being term-limited out of the 75th Assembly District, which covers an area from Southern Riverside County to the Mexican border, a rare open seat came up in his district.

Two candidates have already entered the race: Republican party preferred candidate Andrew Hayes, who is currently the President of the Lakeside Union School Board and a staff member for Senator Brian Jones (R-Santee), and GOP businessman Jack Fernandes. DeMaio decided to join the race on Wednesday, expanding the primary in the district to three candidates.

“I’m frustrated and I think that if we don’t change things now it will get a lot worse, millions of more Californians will flee the state and it will be too late,” said DeMaio on Wednesday. “We’ve got to have fundamental change and it starts with confronting the Republican Party, what’s left of it, and forcing them to change. I think the voters in this district know that I’m a fighter, and that while other Republicans will put their tail between their legs and cower or give up, I’m not going to go anywhere. I’m going to continue to fight till we take back the state.”

“I’ve had to deal with Lorena for 20 years, so I think I know better than anyone her tricks and her demeanor and it doesn’t faze me. I think labor has corrupted the process. Labor has been able to demand special interest favors that hurt Californians as a whole. The business community feels like they’re just kind of held hostage up there. And no one really puts up a fight. That’s the role of a minority party is to try to provide that balance.”

“My calculation is I have to show benefit to them. I have to help them. If the old guard wants to try to defend the death spiral that they’re in, I don’t think that’s going to be very palatable to voters and it certainly is not going to get us anywhere as a movement. I don’t worry too much about the naysayers.”

In addition, DeMaio noted that he would broadcast from YouTube frequently while in office and continue his work with Reform California.

Political experts noted on Wednesday that DeMaio stands a good chance at winning the election, although his past runs, as well as his lack of elected experience in the past decade, could possibly hurt him next year.

“DeMaio comes in as a name candidate and one who really wants to upend things for Republicans, which many GOP members in the state have been begging candidates to do for years,” said San Diego area pollster Jennifer Lopez to the Globe. “Pending on future candidates going into the race, especially a Democratic challenger, DeMaio will mainly have to worry about Hayes, who s liked by the party and currently holds public office on that school board. That may hurt DeMaio, but Hayes does not have the same kind of access to the media that DeMaio has either.”

“DeMaio needs to be scandal free and come up with a solid plan for the Assembly, namely, what he wants to do at the local level. He’s said what he wants to do party-wise, but ultimately, this comes down to what he can do for the people in the district. He comes up with a good plan there and he stays on point, DeMaio may be heading to Sacramento.”

As of Wednesday, only DeMaio, Hayes, and Fernandes have declared their candidacy for the District.