Betrayal: How the CA Republican Party Helped Gavin Newsom Win Prop 1

The results are finally in for California’s March Primary Election, and Gavin Newsom’s Proposition 1, passed by an extremely narrow margin — 28,000 votes out of 7.3 million cast. That came down to less than a fraction of a percentage point. 

The close vote could be seen as a referendum on or voter fatigue with Gavin Newsom, who tied the measure closely to himself throughout the campaign. The CA Governor spent $25 million on Prop 1, only to nearly go down in defeat. 

But Reform California’s Carl DeMaio is noting that the measure likely would have failed — if not for help from an unlikely source: the California Republican Party.

In fact, the state party inexplicably took a “NEUTRAL” position on Prop 1 in the election. 

DeMaio, chairman of Reform California and a candidate for State Assembly District 75, argues that the party betrayed its voters and handed the election to Newsom with their position.

“A ‘neutral’ recommendation meant millions of Republican voters in CA were given the impression by their own feckless party that Prop 1 wasn’t too bad and they should consider voting for it — an INSANE position to take,” said DeMaio.

Prop 1, which was written by state politicians, deceptively suggests that the measure is a $6.4 billion bond to build treatment facilities and housing units for the homeless. 

However, Prop 1 actually raids mental health treatment funds and approves new taxpayer debt — and all the funding gets awarded to Democrat politicians’ rich housing developer friends to build welfare housing projects. These developers then pay these politicians back for the contracts by donating to their political campaigns.

“Prop 1 effectively funds Democrats — and the California Republican Party refused to stand against that in an epic failure and betrayal of their Republican voters,” said DeMaio.

DeMaio says that the Party’s failure to provide effective opposition to the Democrats’ agenda is why he founded the Reform California movement — to organize and actually win on these issues. And that’s why DeMaio and Reform California are already strategizing for November 2024 to roll back some of the effects of Democrats’ recent efforts.

DeMaio outlined a 3-part plan:

1. Protect Prop 13: Prop 13 was a signature 1978 measure that helps keep property taxes low and makes it harder for the government to raise taxes — features that tax-and-spend Democrats are eager to repeal in November 2024. The California Republican Party has so far neglected to join the fight to protect Prop 13 in November, but Reform California is already leading the fight by supporting the CA Taxpayer Protection Initiative, which will protect Prop 13 and block the Democrats costly tax hikes in November!
2. Create a Reform CA Caucus: DeMaio and the Reform California movement are on track to elect enough principled fighters to the state legislature to create a real “opposition party” again in Sacramento – and have a real shot at breaking the Democrats’ Supermajority! 
3. Take Over the CAGOP: Every federal and state candidate endorsed by Reform CA that wins a primary gets to appoint board members to the CAGOP. DeMaio intends to use those appointments to take back control of the party in 2024.

“I’m going to take a lot of heat from CAGOP political insiders for revealing the truth about Prop 1 to you — but I have always pledged full transparency and honesty to you as we fight to save our state, and if that means criticizing our own party and demanding they do better, then that’s what I need to do,” said DeMaio.

DeMaio says that if the Party were serious, they should have organized “NO on Prop 1” campaign efforts like Reform California’s website that opposed Prop 1 and informed the public on why it was a disaster: www.CleanUpOurStreets.org

“Bottomline: had the CA Republican Party joined Reform California in opposing Prop 1, Gavin Newsom would have suffered a humiliating defeat on Prop 1 – not getting to use our taxpayer funds to help elect more Democrats,” DeMaio explained.

DeMaio says Republican voters should not trust the CAGOP to lead the fight this November and should consider supporting Reform California and other grassroots efforts instead — until the Party gets its act together.