'He's everywhere': This California Republican wants to make his party relevant again

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Set us as preferred ROSEVILLE, Calif. — San Diego County Republican Carl DeMaio had a warning for conservatives at a get-out-the-vote rally this month in Placer County.“You are doomed,” DeMaio said, crooning the phrase like a foghorn.The audience chuckled.“Doomed” is DeMaio’s description for races that lack a conservative candidate.

Skip voting in those, he told the crowd, briskly walking them through the Nov.3 ballot.Microphone in hand, the freshman state legislator paced the floor, threw up his hands and scowled as he declared California a “communist state,” the progressive Bay Area “the gates of hell” and Hillary Clinton “the wicked witch.” Urging volunteers to door-knock at Republican households, he instructed them to ignore Democratic homes entirely.

“I don’t need to remind them there’s an election going on,” he said, prompting more laughs.DeMaio, 52, is emerging as a prominent voice for California Republicans, promising a path back to power and delighting audiences with his sharp takedowns of Democrats.His vehicle this election is Proposition 39 — he is coauthor of the ballot measure — which would require Californians to provide ID when voting, an initiative backed by millions of dollars from conservatives and condemned by the state’s Democratic leaders and voting rights experts.

On his YouTube channel, he regularly skewers Gov.Gavin Newsom, the Sacramento “swamp” and the media with shows titled, “Thinking of California? 3 Reasons Not to!” and “Socialism on the CA Ballot in 2026!”His advocacy group, Reform California, supports conservative candidates and helps raise money.

Backed by volunteers, the group is usurping the California Republican Party’s influence, according to both his critics and allies.DeMaio appears undaunted by his quest.California Prop 39 brings...