SAN DIEGO — Accusations of fake endorsement guides and misleading mailers are flying between local Republicans supporting opposing candidates in county and state-level races, with some mailers drawing the ire of the state Republican party.
The slate mailers focus on two Republican battles in the upcoming June 2 primary — the San Diego County Board of Supervisors District 5 race between Vista Mayor John Franklin and San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones, and the race for the 40th State Senate seat between San Marcos City Councilmember Ed Musgrove and Kristie Bruce-Lane.
The official Republican Party of San Diego County has not endorsed anyone for either of these seats because it has been unable to reach a consensus. Despite this, various mailers sent to voters and online voting guides have touted “official” Republican endorsements in both races.
A group known as SD Republicans, which touts itself as the “only San Diego Republican leadership endorsement guide,” has sent mailers and launched a website endorsing Franklin for the District 5 supervisor seat and Musgrove for the 40th Senate seat.
SD Republicans is led by former San Diego County Republican Party chair Corey Gustafson, who is also running for the 50th Congressional District. The guide has also been shared on social media by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall), who opted not to seek reelection in the redrawn 48th Congressional District.
At the same time, Carl DeMaio, the 75th District Assemblymember and founder of Reform California, has sent out an opposing mailer with the title “Republican Official Endorsement” that supports Jones and Bruce-Lane while firing shots at Franklin and Musgrove.
DeMaio also promoted a website, republicanvoterguideca.com, via a text campaign promoting an “Official Republican Voter Guide,” which included language indicating the endorsements came from the Republican Central Committee.
On Friday, the California Republican Party sent a scathing cease-and-desist letter to DeMaio regarding the mailers and the text campaign. Ashlee Titus, general counsel for the state Republicans, accused DeMaio of a “coordinated, brazen, and unlawful campaign to deceive California voters” into believing his mailers were from the official Republican Party.
“You are not an unsophisticated political novice,” Titus wrote. “Your conduct is not a mistake. It is a calculated deception of California’s Republican voters, and it will not be tolerated.”
Since then, DeMaio has removed all references to the Republican Central Committee and changed the name on the website from the “Official Republican Voter Guide” to “Carl DeMaio’s Reform California Voter Guide for Republicans.”
Dylan Martin, communications director for Reform California, dismissed the state party’s concerns as an attempt to smear DeMaio’s voter guide, which he said backs the candidates who are “fighters” rather than “sellouts.”
“It comes as no surprise that the failed Establishment Republican Party insiders are attacking Carl DeMaio and his Reform California movement because we are doing the job that the party has failed to do for so many years — like leading the fight against the Democrats throughout our state and getting Voter ID on the ballot,” Martin said.
Both DeMaio’s and the SD Republicans’ messages do include the disclaimer that they are not from an official political party organization.
SD Republicans and Reform California have also attacked each other’s mailers, warning voters not to be fooled by “fake” voting guides.
In the 40th Senate District, Musgrove and Bruce-Lane are running against Democrat and former San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliot. The seat is currently held by state Sen. Brian Jones, who will be termed out of the California Legislature after six years in the Assembly and eight years in the Senate.
The District 5 supervisor race includes Jones, Franklin, San Diego County Democratic Party leader Kyle Krahel, public health educator and independent Sasha Miller, and former La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians Chairwoman Norma Contreras, a Democrat.
The top two vote-getters in the primary will advance to the General Election in November.
