Fight or Flee. That’s the choice that millions of common-sense Californians are facing as California’s cost-of-living skyrockets higher and state politicians continue to enact extreme policies that have spiked our cost of living, filled our streets with crime and homelessness, and infringed on our personal freedoms.
For Carl DeMaio the choice is simple: STAND AND FIGHT!
Carl DeMaio is the most-recognized reformer and taxpayer advocate in California.
DeMaio serves as Chairman of Reform California - a statewide grassroots political movement that is dedicated to taking back our state from the far-Left politicians and special interests.
Given that California is currently dominated by one political party with a supermajority – and the other political party has shown itself largely ineffective in its opposition role – Reform California seeks to be the counterbalance to extreme and misguided policies that are costing taxpayers and hurting working families in our state.
DeMaio also hosts a daily podcast – where he uses his media platform to inform, engage and inspire common-sense Californians to get involved in the fight to take back their state from socialism.
Carl DeMaio is no stranger to adversity. Carl’s mother passed away two weeks after his father abandoned the family. At age 14, DeMaio was taken in by Jesuits and given the opportunity to earn his way to Georgetown University. “I learned from a young age that no matter how bad things get, there is always a way to overcome any challenge,” said DeMaio. “I’m grateful to the Jesuits for instilling in me both a disciplined work ethic and a strong sense of public service – fighting for what you believe in no matter what the consequences are.”
Right out of college Carl DeMaio founded two successful businesses before the age of thirty. DeMaio built the Performance Institute into one of the largest government reform think tanks in the nation and the leading authority on performance-based management in government, law enforcement, non-profits and schools. In 2003, DeMaio founded the American Strategic Management Institute (ASMI), which provides training and education in corporate financial and performance management. In late 2007, DeMaio sold both his companies to Thompson Publishing Group. From 2014 to 2019 he returned as President of The Performance Institute, reacquiring and reselling the company during that period of time.
DeMaio is still a small business owner today and understands the challenges job creators face in California's anti-business environment.
From 2004 to present, Carl DeMaio has served as Chairman of Reform California – a grassroots movement that advocates for transparency and accountability reforms in state and local government while mounting campaigns to defeat unfair and unnecessary tax hikes.
“DeMaio’s passion for reforming government has taken him from a difficult upbringing to a career as a successful entrepreneur with a national reputation.”
–San Diego Union Tribune, 2012
Since 2004, DeMaio has led campaigns that have defeated over $30 billion in tax hikes. In addition, DeMaio has authored several citizens’ ballot initiatives that have been approved by voters. In 2006 and in 2012 DeMaio led the campaign to pass ballot measures to require fair and open competitive bidding on all city and county contracts.
In 2012, DeMaio authored the Pension Reform Initiative to cap city government employee pensions and switch new hires to 401k retirement accounts. DeMaio led the campaign to collect over 150,000 signatures to place the item on the ballot and voters passed it with a 65% vote.
In 2017, DeMaio launched a campaign to oppose an increase in the California gas and car tax. DeMaio filed a Recall against State Senator Josh Newman for casting the deciding vote on approving the gas and car tax and DeMaio led the coalition campaign to successfully remove him from office in June 2018. DeMaio also led the campaign to collect nearly 1 million signatures to place the gas tax repeal on the November 2018 ballot.
With the City of San Diego teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, in 2008 Carl DeMaio was elected to the San Diego City Council. DeMaio made history by becoming the first openly-gay man elected to the San Diego City Council and by the largest margin for a non-incumbent candidate to that point. While on the City Council, DeMaio authored the Roadmap to Recovery Plan to balance the city’s budget without tax hikes. DeMaio’s plan is credited with saving taxpayers billions while improving services.
DeMaio led reform in San Diego by example: he rejected all the perks of office and turned down the politician pension benefit. During his four years in office, DeMaio returned over $600,000 to the city treasury by cutting his own budget. In 2012 the San Diego Union Tribune reflected on Carl DeMaio’s time as a San Diego City Councilman by noting “DeMaio has a record of getting things done — the right things.”
