Republicans blame Carl DeMaio for party division as his group rakes in millions
It was the first meeting of the new year and local Republicans, from senior leaders to right-wing influencers, were gathered at a suburban San Diego church to discuss who the party should endorse in the June primary.
Insults and personal attacks flew between a local GOP activist and Assemblymember Carl DeMaio for more than an hour as party members argued over how to tally their votes. Then, finally, came the results: No one would receive an endorsement, not even a candidate for the seat currently held by the Republican leader of the state Senate.
Republicans blamed DeMaio for the party’s failure to back even a single candidate for the first time in recent memory. Known for making more enemies than friends, he continues to anger his colleagues — both in the statehouse and at home in San Diego — as he works to strengthen his political organization, Reform California, one of the state’s biggest conservative fundraising machines.
In the months leading up to the vote, critics accused DeMaio of packing the local party with allies to ensure Reform California would become the authority on Republican endorsements in the San Diego area. The organization raised $5 million in 2024 alone — three times more than the San Diego Republican Party raised in that time.
https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/03/california-republican-endorsements/
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