San Diego Republicans had lots to celebrate after Election Day. Voters had returned former President Donald Trump to office and given the party a slim majority in Congress and the Senate.
Californians overwhelmingly approved a tough-on-crime ballot measure, Proposition 36. Local GOP incumbents including Assemblymember Laurie Davies, Supervisor Joel Anderson and Rep. Darrell Issa comfortably held their seats.
But instead of breaking open the champagne, the Republican Party of San Diego County has been absorbed in a family feud centered around their newest elected official, incoming Assemblymember Carl DeMaio.
After a bitter fight between DeMaio and fellow Republican Andrew Hayes for the open 75th Assembly seat in North and East County, Central Committee members are battling over who will control the local party, and with it the endorsements and funding that can make or break campaigns. A vote Dec. 9 will set the new chair of the party.
Will the party mend fences or face “total dominion” by DeMaio? Members of DeMaio’s camp complain the San Diego Republican Party bungled efforts to elect local candidates and warn that could threaten contributions from major donors. Listening to competing accounts of the dispute can feel a bit like being a middle school principal trying to sort out who started the fight in the lunch line.
DeMaio Takes Center Stage
DeMaio’s election is also a wild card when it comes to Republican legislative efforts. Will he try to build alliances, or build his own empire?
Carl Luna, director for the Institute for Civil Civic Engagement and a visiting professor of political science at the University of San Diego, said DeMaio polished his act in San Diego and is now looking to a bigger stage, with an eye toward higher office.
“He’s gone from San Diego to Sacramento, which is kind of off-Broadway, and will see where he can take his act after that,” Luna told me.
But Luna questions whether DeMaio will exercise the diplomacy needed to succeed in the statewide arena.
“He goes to Sacramento as a freshman assemblymember, as a Republican in a body with a Democratic supermajority,” Luna said. “So, he’s not going to be able to win votes unless he’s willing to compromise.”
Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, a San Diego Republican, thinks he and DeMaio have enough common ground to collaborate, even though DeMaio defeated Jones’ former staff member for the seat. Their districts overlap and so do their interests in streamlining government and strengthening public safety, he said.
“We will work together,” Jones said in an interview. “I will work with him as much as he wants to, to serve our constituents (by) controlling taxes, controlling regulation and holding the government accountable. I hope he’ll join me in working on the sexual predator issues.”
How the Republican Brawl Began
You probably know DeMaio from his soapbox on KOGO News or his crusades against taxes and regulations through his political action committee Reform California. You may also remember his single term on the San Diego City Council or his unsuccessful campaigns for San Diego mayor and Congress.
News reports describe DeMaio as a “firebrand conservative” so often it’s become a cliche. But it’s evident that he likes to barbecue his adversaries, whether they are Democrats, journalists, firefighters or other Republicans. DeMaio refused to comment.
Hayes is a Lakeside Union School District member and former district director for Republican state Minority Leader Brian Jones. He had the local party’s endorsement – and most likely the seat – sewn up, until DeMaio jumped into the primary race late last year.
That turned the competition for the conservative-leaning district into a red-on-red dogfight. During the primary DeMaio backed a Democrat in hopes of bumping Hayes out of the running. Hayes’ supporters filed campaign finance complaints against DeMaio, alleging that he accepted campaign contributions over legal limits and blew past a spending cap.Both candidates sent mountains of mailers accusing the other of being insufficiently loyal to Trump during the primary and then branded their opponent as a “MAGA extremist” in the general election. DeMaio won first place in the primary with about 43 percent of the vote, while Hayes made it into second with about 19 percent.
Meanwhile DeMaio pulled levers to sway the party’s central committee to switch their support to him, sparking an internal battle. Our editor, Scott Lewis, detailed that in a Political Report entitled “GOP Goes to War Against DeMaio.”
Former Republican Party Chair Whitsell backed DeMaio, saying that he should get the party’s official party endorsement after winning more votes. Hayes’ supporters protested that Hayes earned the endorsement and should get to keep it.
The week before the general election, heavy hitters on the right and left went to bat for Hayes. Republicans Jones, Issa and Anderson joined forces with labor unions and Democrats Rep. Scott Peters and California Labor Federation President Lorena Gonzalez, holding a press conference endorsing Hayes.
Corey Gustafson, who is now party chair, brokered an agreement: Hayes would keep the party’s backing but forego support from its Victory Fund. DeMaio agreed to drop his bid for the endorsement and wouldn’t recruit or promote candidates that differed from the party’s slate. As part of that deal, Whitsell resigned and Gustafson stepped in.
But DeMaio had clashed with police and firefighters years earlier when he voted against public safety pensions and death benefits as a City Council member. In August the Police Officers Research Association of California filed a campaign finance complaint alleging that DeMaio commingled funds from Reform California with his Assembly campaign.
Then DeMaio’s organization Reform California promoted candidate Tony Blain for Poway City Council, snubbing the Republican Party’s endorsed candidate, Jared Wilson, president of the San Diego Police Officers Association President. Gustafson said that rendered the deal void and declared the party would direct its resources to Hayes.
Wilson dismissed the slight from DeMaio. “Carl DeMaio, (in a high-pitched squeal) threatened to end my political career and ‘put my head on a stake,’” Wilson tweeted in September. “I laughed at him. I’m a street cop and have dealt with actual tough guys. He ain’t one of them.”
Gustafson is seeking re-election as party chair, but faces an old opponent; Whitsell wants her seat back and DeMaio is backing her.
Wilson lost to Blain and said he’s no longer on the Republican Central Committee. But he’s rooting for Gustafson and thinks DeMaio should concentrate on his new role rather than party infighting.
“I’m super supportive of Corey Gustafson,” Wilson told me. “I think he has a vision to support Republican candidates. I think Carl’s vision is to support Carl.”
He added: “Carl has a vision to go to Sacramento and deliver on his promises, and so I think he needs to focus on that.”
DeMaio prevailed over Hayes by 14 points, easily winning the 75th Assembly seat. Hayes said he’ll continue his work on the Lakeside school board and within the local party.
“I’m hopeful our Republican party can be a party of addition and not subtraction and attain results not just for Republicans but for all Californians,” he told me.
Little Andy was a joke 15 years ago and he is still a joke today🤣
No stake in the school district with 0 children but thinks he can tell us what to do with ours
I was endorsed by Carl for my seat, I didn’t win but I will always keep fighting for honesty and support of true Republican candidates. As you said, “little Andy” didn’t inspire my vote…..so Carl all the way, and yeah, as if staying in Sacramento is a bad thing….I hope Carl comes back to visit but take on the leftists where they live, in their check books!