Carl DeMaio, a Republican and former San Diego City Council member, is one of six candidates running in the crowded race for the open 75th Assembly District, representing a vast swath of East County.
To help inform voters, the San Diego Union-Tribune asked all the candidates a series of the same questions about their priorities, positions and campaigns. Their emailed answers have been lightly edited for clarity.
Why are you running, and what makes you the best candidate?
While millions are fleeing California, I’m staying to fight! As chairman of Reform California, I’m leading the fight to take back our state from corrupt politicians and their far-left policies that have failed us. Voters know I’ve been their fighter on the issues that matter the most to them — such as blocking unfair tax hikes like the unfair gas tax hike or the crazy San Diego County mileage tax proposal. Voters want someone who will fight for them and restore the pride we once had in California.
The Sacramento swamp knows I’m the only candidate with the guts and drive to take them on, which is why they are sending out false mailers against me. I see their false smears and attacks as a compliment, because they obviously fear the growing Reform California movement I’m leading to reform their corrupt system.
What are the top 3 issues facing this district and California generally?
First, California has a cost-of-living crisis because of high taxes and costly government mandates. Second, California has a public safety crisis because politicians refuse to arrest and prosecute criminals. Third, California has an illegal immigration crisis — not just because of the federal government’s complete failure to secure the border, but because California politicians have made us a sanctuary state and given out outrageous welfare benefits to illegal immigrants at taxpayer expense.
Fixing these three issues are my top priority, but I am also prepared to address many other important issues — such as the loss of fire insurance for homeowners, controversial and politicized curriculum being put into classrooms, homelessness, etc.
What are the first 3 things you would do in your first term in the Legislature?
I am not waiting to be elected to make change happen. That’s why I helped lead the campaign to collect 1.4 million signatures to place the California Taxpayer Protection Initiative on the November 2024 ballot to save Proposition 13 and block unfair and costly tax hikes that are crushing working families. This ballot measure will also repeal the absurd proposal to charge you higher electricity rates if you make too much money.
To restore election integrity, I authored and am leading the campaign to qualify and pass the California voter ID Initiative. Finally, I’m recruiting and supporting candidates across the state to end the Democrats’ supermajority in the state Legislature. Having one-party control has led to extremist policies, abuse of power and a government that no longer considers the voice of millions of citizens.
What would you do to curb climate change and its effects on California, including the fact that those effects are often borne disproportionately by communities of color?
The better question is, why are politicians hurting working families by imposing costly Green New Deal mandates on them, resulting in gas costing us $2 more per gallon than the national average and electricity prices that are nearly double the national average? There is no evidence showing California is solving climate change, but there’s overwhelming evidence that it is hurting working families by imposing insane costly mandates on them in the name of saving the planet.
As for communities of color, the liberal media makes a big deal about racism in every walk of life but oddly won’t hold Democrat-run school districts accountable for failing Black and brown children. Two-thirds of California students are failing math proficiencies, and a majority are failing reading and writing — but among African American and Latino students the numbers are 70-80% failing. I’m going to fix that first.
What would you do to combat California’s housing, affordability and homelessness crises?
First, it may come as a surprise but the data overwhelmingly proves this: Homelessness and housing costs are two separate and unrelated issues. Homelessness is not an employment issue nor a housing issue — it is a substance abuse and mental health issue. Nationally homelessness has gone down by double-digits even as national housing prices have risen. During the same time, California’s homelessness has gone up by double digits because we are pursuing fatally-flawed policies and wasting taxpayer money on boondoggle welfare housing projects and motel vouchers.
If we want to solve homelessness, give law enforcement back the power to enforce the law and then partner with courts on diversion programs to mandate treatment for homeless people.
On housing costs generally, we need more supply, and to achieve that we need to cut regulations and make California an attractive market for housing investment again.
Do you personally support Proposition 1? Why or why not?
Not only do I oppose Prop. 1, but I’m leading the largest statewide campaign against Prop. 1 through Reform California. Prop. 1 is a deceptive scam backed by the same people who have failed us miserably on homelessness.
Prop. 1 actually diverts existing tax funds from mental health treatment programs so the money can be diverted to government housing projects. The mega government housing projects that would be subsidized under Prop. 1 have been criticized by numerous independent government auditors for being wasteful — costing as much as $1 million per unit! That is hardly “affordable housing!”
Do you support or oppose stricter gun laws and background checks? Which, and if you support them, to what extent?
The data overwhelmingly shows that California’s highly-restrictive gun laws have failed to keep us safe. Liberal politicians are beating the “guns are bad” drum simply to distract voters from the dangerous crime wave their policies have caused in our state. California politicians have coddled and empowered criminals and undermined law enforcement at every turn, while stripping law-abiding citizens of their constitutionally-protected right self-defense. My focus will be on reducing crime — in all of its forms — and addressing the growing mental health crisis in our state that I believe drives a lot of the violence we see today.
Do you support or oppose asking voters to roll back elements of Proposition 47, by which they recategorized some nonviolent crimes as misdemeanors 10 years ago? Why or why not? Do you personally support or oppose making changes to Prop. 47?
Prop. 47 has been a complete disaster and has been the main driver of the dangerous crime wave hitting small businesses and residents across the state. I support the repeal of Prop. 47 so we can once again prosecute retail crimes and drug crimes. By giving these tools back to law enforcement, we will not only reduce crime but will be able to tackle homelessness more effectively. I’m not waiting to be in office to fight on this, which is why Reform California is collecting signatures right now to reform Prop. 47. Let’s make crime illegal again in California!
Californians will vote this year on whether to repeal Proposition 8, a 2008 same-sex marriage ban that has been unenforceable since the Supreme Court ruling legalized same-sex marriage but that remains on the books. Will you personally vote for or against repealing Prop. 8?
Per the U.S. Supreme Court, marriage equality is already the law of the land — as is religious freedom. The only reason why this initiative is on the ballot is so Democrat politicians can foment division and boost turnout for winning their elections.
