In an election year marked by deep political divisions, there is one message that has unified some local Republican and Democratic leaders: Don’t vote for Carl DeMaio.
Half-a-dozen political figures gathered at a press conference Wednesday to criticize the Republican’s campaign for Assembly District 75 and encourage residents to vote for his fellow GOP opponent, Andrew Hayes.
They called out what they consider to be divisive language and deceptive tactics by DeMaio’s campaign. Some of the speakers explicitly acknowledged the unusual nature of the bipartisan press conference, which was organized by the Republican Party of San Diego County.
Lorena Gonzalez, President of the California Federation of Labor Unions and a former Democratic Assembly member, called DeMaio “out of touch” and an “egomaniac.”
“I think we’re here, at this point, because we see the lies told by Carl DeMaio,” Gonzalez said. “You gotta choose someone between these two Republicans. Don’t skip it — choose Andrew Hayes.”
Republican County Supervisor Joel Anderson called DeMaio “glib” and criticized his mailers as misleading.
“When you get a mailer from Carl DeMaio and it says that he’s law enforcement’s choice, then why didn’t he get their endorsement?” Anderson said.
The press conference also featured Democratic Rep. Scott Peters, Republican State Sen. Brian Jones, Black Mountain Democratic Club President Lee Finney and San Diego Police Officers Association President Jared Wilson, who is running for the Poway City Council as a Republican.
DeMaio’s campaign called the press conference “a bunch of last-minute false attacks” by “career politicians and political party operatives.”
“The voters know the truth — that Carl DeMaio has consistently fought for them against a broken and corrupt political system in California,” said Jen Jacobs, spokesperson for the DeMaio campaign, in a text.
The race for Assembly District 75 — which covers most of East San Diego County, including a 50-mile stretch of the United States-Mexico border — has been marked by a series of twists, turns and controversies as Election Day nears.
A monthslong saga over the Republican Party of San Diego County's endorsement in the race has led to messy infighting. In August, the largest police advocacy group in the state filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), claiming DeMaio violated campaign finance rules. And last week, KPBS reported how DeMaio may not actually live in Assembly District 75 — at least, not full time.
The winner of the District 75 race will replace termed-out Assemblymember Marie Waldron.
