Carl DeMaio: Openly Gay Politician Gains GOP Approval in California

A new poll tested the favorability ratings of openly gay Republican Carl DeMaio. In the hypothetical election, he was pitted against Representative Scott Peters (D-Calif.) and lead in the votes. DeMaio is a former San Diego City Councilman just may enter the actual race against Peters for the 52nd District in California. GOP members nation-wide also seem to approve of DeMaio’s capabilities.

The “New Generation Republican” is on the rise. Since the failure of the old gen took root like a bad seed and grew into a monstrous plant, the GOP is slowly but surely pushing efforts into snipping off dead ends to make their party machine a more viable challenge as a whole come 2016.

The poll given to probable voters made a note to say that DeMaio would prefer for the GOP to focus on the government’s financial issues rather than social issues. According to the poll, this pitch worked well in the district that is known to be mostly moderate.

DeMaio, while on a smaller scale compared to other figures like junior U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is another beacon of change for Republicans. The party’s efforts to make more minority figures prominent in their politics are continual. What comes off as a fascinating aspect in DeMaio’s case, is his apparent desire to take the political conversation away from social issues. DeMaio ran for the seat of Mayor of San Diego in 2012, but lost to former congressman and Democrat Bob Filner. During the race, one of the things DeMaio said was his view of gay marriage being separate from his role as mayor.

“Obviously I have strongly held personal views, the issues that are important to me as Carl, an individual, a private citizen, but my role as mayor is quite different,” he said.

Politically, this would give DeMaio some leeway in swaying conservatives and moderates alike that are comprised of the “make or break” crowd when it comes to social issues like gay marriage. On the other hand, as an openly gay man he might be expected to champion for LGBT rights in the same way women in power are often expected to champion feminist rights. This side of the equation has the potential to turn off potential voters from the other side of the political fence. Still, DeMaio represents progress within the party that is well on its way to a Republican Renaissance, so to speak.

The new generation of Republicans needs to keep up with the rising generation of American people in order to remain relevant and competitive.