Carl DeMaio is reviving former California Gov. Pete Wilson’s anti-immigration rhetoric in his bid for a state Assembly seat in East County.
DeMaio, a former San Diego City Councilmember who ran unsuccessfully for Congress, released a television ad Monday that includes portions of one of Wilson’s own ads from 1994.
“Gov. Peter Wilson was right,” DeMaio said in a tweet introducing the spot.
“CA Democrats and liberal media blame Gov. Wilson and his strong position against illegal immigration for Republicans losing seats since 1994. I disagree…”
Wilson backed Proposition 187, which would have denied many services to undocumented immigrants, and won reelection as Governor. The proposition was later ruled unconstitutional.
Political observers credit Wilson’s rhetoric and the proposition with tipping the state toward the Democratic Party, which now boasts supermajorities in both the Assembly and state Senate and holds all executive offices.
Nonetheless, DeMaio said he believes his position on controlling the border will resonate well with Latino voters.
“I believe that Latinos are with us on immigration and Democrats have been bamboozled by the liberal media,” he told the national website Politico.
DeMaio is running in the 75th Assembly District, which is currently represented by Marie Waldron, who is termed out.