A campaign ad released by Carl DeMaio, who is running for the State Assembly District 65, is stirring controversy a day after its debut.
At a news conference outside the office of the San Diego Registrar of Voters in Kearny Mesa on Tuesday, DeMaio told NBC 7 his team spent $320,000 on an ad buy for a 30-second piece called "Pete Wilson Was Right." The title is a reference to the former California governor, whose reputation has been marred by accusations of racism because of his mid-'90s immigration policy.
The controversial policy took form in Prop 187, which sought to deny social services like public education to undocumented immigrants. The measure passed but was deemed unconstitutional by a judge, and was never fully implemented.
The 2024 campaign ad from DeMaio includes a clip of Wilson and footage reminiscent of Wilson-era ads that infamously painted a negative picture of migrants and, according to UCSD political science professor Thad Kousser, disenchanted a growing Latino base.
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"As California became increasingly a diverse state with a Latino voting bloc that's become very powerful in California politics that has turned the state blue for a generation ... everyone's looked back at Prop 187 and said that was what killed the Republican Party here in California," Kousser told NBC 7.
At the news conference, DeMaio denied his ad was controversial.
"I do believe Pete Wilson was right 30 years ago to raise the issue of our border not being secure,” DeMaio said.
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During the news conference, the Assembly candidate yielded the podium to activist Nicole Murray Ramirez, who was there to voice his opposition to the ad. DeMaio said he welcomed Ramirez's opposing views.
“It brings racism," Ramirez said of Prop 187 and the Wilson association. "It brings stereotypes of my community.”
In the past, DeMaio has held a seat on the San Diego City Council and also campaigned, unsuccessfully, for San Diego mayor and a U.S. Congressional seat.
In terms of his proposed immigration policy, DeMaio said he supports sending the California State Guard to the border. He also expressed his disdain for state policies that provide benefits like healthcare to undocumented people.
Kevin Juza, who is also running for state Assembly District 75, is endorsed by the California Democratic Party and wants to see the state be a place where people can forge a pathway to citizenship.
“Pete Wilson was definitely wrong, was not right ... [in] what he was saying in that ad," said Juza. “When they're in our state, what can we do to make them feel safe and be happy here, and hopefully get on the path to become citizens as the process that's laid out for them?”
As for whether DeMaio's references to Wilson could be a winning strategy in a district that has elected a Republican Assembly member since 1992, Kousser said it is a gamble but on par for DeMaio's "firebrand" persona.
"Embracing Pete Wilson, a figure who's whose legacy is very negative right now in California — that's a big risk for Republicans,” Kousser told NBC 7.
