Carl DeMaio Running for Rep. Duncan Hunter’s Seat in 2020

Reform California Chairman Carl DeMaio has announced he is running for the 50th District seat currently held by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine. In a California Globe interview, former San Diego City Councilman DeMaio said, “there is no safe seat in California anymore. I am doing this because I want to focus on California.”

DeMaio, reformer and taxpayer advocate, is critical of the California Democratic Party rule, saying politics in the state shifting to the left is putting California in a dangerous place. “I am doing this because Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Xavier Becerra are weighing in on national issues like the border, the ballot and President Trump.”

DeMaio worried about how many Californians are leaving due to the leftist policies dominating state politics. “Too many Californians are fleeing our state because of the extreme socialist agenda being imposed on us by Democrat politicians, but I refuse to flee: I choose to stand and fight,” DeMaio said. “In California, voters have mostly only been given two choices: socialists or ineffective cowards.”

California not only has the highest taxes in the nation, business-killing regulations, outdated infrastructure, and out of control drug addicted homeless issues plaguing California cities, DeMaio said, “To take back our state, we need a new generation of California leaders who are willing to fight and have a record of getting reform done. The old guard of California Republican leaders have shown they aren’t willing or able to lead the fight to take back our state from the Democrats – or worse, like Mr. Hunter, they are tied up in court facing criminal charges.”

DeMaio referred to current Rep. Duncan Hunter, who together with his wife was indicted in 2018 by a federal grand jury on 60 counts of wire fraud, falsifying records, campaign finance violations, and conspiracy. The San Diego U.S. Attorney’s Office accused the couple of conspiring to misuse $250,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses, as well as filing false campaign finance reports. Personal expenses charged to the campaign included vacations in Italy and Hawaii, theater tickets, among other non-political expenses.

“If you or I took a corporation credit card and ran up $250,000, we’d be put on unpaid leave or fired,” DeMaio said. “I blame Nancy Pelosi for allowing him to stay in office, because one day, it will be one of her members.”

He’s very critical of the Republicans in Congress and state representatives in California, unwilling to fight for the Party platform, and says too many like things the way they are, and are more interested in keeping their elected offices, rather than fighting the opposition. “When the news announced healthcare for illegal aliens, no Republican spoke up,” DeMaio said. “At the same time, Gov. Newsom is raising healthcare taxes on citizens. No Republicans spoke out.”

“It’s not racist to say ‘illegal immigrants are not entitled to taxpayer-funded health care.'”

DeMaio said he wants to fix Congress first. “My number one priority is for members of Congress to have to live under the same laws as the rest of us.” Congress exempts itself from a number of laws that apply to the private sector and the executive branch.

DeMaio wants to secure the border now, and then target the seats of open-border Congress members. “If they don’t change that position, we will have young challengers for their seats.”

DeMaio’s reform campaign focuses on 10 key issues:  Border Security/Illegal Immigration, Jobs & Small Business, Fighting Tax Hikes, Balancing the Budget, Reforming Congress, Education, Infrastructure, Healthcare, Homelessness/Welfare Reform, Social Security/Medicare, Veterans/National Defense, Constitutional Freedoms.

“I’m also offering ‘Freedom Care,’ my alternative to Obamacare,” DeMaio said. “It’s called Freedom Care because it gives individuals and employers the freedom to voluntarily opt-out of the government-run healthcare system and make healthcare decisions without government interference. Freedom Care would offer plans across state lines that are free of government-mandated coverage costs, requires providers to charge Freedom Care members their lowest acceptable rate for services, and would feature expanded tax-free Health Savings Accounts.”