Written and Submitted by: Mary Anne<\/p>\n
This caught most people by surprise. Throughout a long campaign, Sen. Maienschein assured his
\nvolunteers and his voters that he would remain a strong Republican voice in Sacramento. That promise
\nlasted for a mere 49 days after the certification of his razor-thin victory over his Democratic opponent
\non Dec. 6, 2018. This was rightly seen as a betrayal of no small order. Hundreds of Republican
\nvolunteers spent thousands of hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars to help him win his race
\nbefore he simply turned his back on them.<\/p>\n
Why? On Feb. 6, the San Diego Union Tribune published Maienschein\u2019s explanation for the switch.
\nAfter the obligatory blaming of President Trump, he stated: \u201cAs the Republican Party has drifted further
\nright, I \u2014 and my votes \u2014 have shifted.\u201d This was disingenuous at best. The CA Republican Party
\nplatform had not changed in some time, and it was relaxing many of its stands on social issues. The rest
\nof his article sounded like a Democrat hit piece \u2013 this just days after he\u2019d run as a Republican. Why?<\/p>\n
Maienschein first won recognition for organizing recovery centers for the 2004 Cedar and 2077 Witch
\nCreek Fires. He then ran as a local hero in a heavily Republican district first for San Diego City Council
\nand then the CA Assembly. Nevertheless, within the Assembly he was known as something of a
\nlightweight. According to a Voice of San Diego article by Jesse Marx (\u201cDemocrats Are Quietly Gunning
\nfor Brian Maienschein\u201d, dtd 8\/21\/2018), he \u201ccarved out a niche in Sacramento for pushing bills that
\nfocus on\u00a0pets and animal shelters\u00a0as well as regulatory tweaks to trusts and estates.\u201d He was also
\nknown for jumping sides on tough votes \u2013 so much so that Toni Atkins refused to endorse his last
\nDemocrat opponent. He was not and never had been a sure vote for the Republican Party in
\nSacramento.<\/p>\n
Still, throughout 2018, he promised his Republican voters that he was a Republican and would stand for
\ntheir Republican values. After all, he had, for the most part, done so for several years\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2026However, there was another consideration. As in much of CA the demographics were changing in his
\ndistrict. His once solid-Republican constituency was veering left. In each successive race he won by
\nfewer votes, and that last one was a real squeaker \u2013 607 vote difference out of 199,153 votes cast.
\n(SDVote.com). In earlier races his Democrat friends had pretty much let him ride as he could sometimes
\nbe convinced to vote with them, but in the 2018 contest they actively worked against him (excepting
\nToni Atkins, of course). We\u2019ll never know how long they\u2019d been working on him to change parties, and
\nhow they used their opposition in the 2018 race to punish his earlier complacency. However they
\nmanaged it, they turned him.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Turned him hard left \u2013 the following liberal organizations now rate him as follows:<\/p>\n
California Labor Federation \u2013 100%\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 California Teachers Association \u2013 89%<\/p>\n
California Environmental Voters \u2013 86%\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Planned Parenthood \u2013 100%<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Consider these ratings. Voters must beware. This man has chosen to link himself to the CA Democratic
\nParty and the Unions and the policies that have virtually destroyed our once beautiful state. He is not
\nthe moderate he pretends to be, and we know the value of his promises.<\/p>\n
CA deserves better than that. Kick him out. Vote for Kristi Bruce-Lane for the 76 th Assembly District.<\/p>\n
Sources:<\/p>\n
Brian Maienschein | California Legislator Tracker (calmatters.org)<\/a><\/p>\n 2020_legislative_scorecard_-_final.pdf (plannedparenthoodaction.org)<\/a><\/p>\n Brian Maienschein quits Republican Party, joins Democrats in surprise move – The San Diego<\/a> Commentary: Maienschein: Why I switched from GOP to Democratic Party – The San Diego<\/a>
\nUnion-Tribune (sandiegouniontribune.com)<\/a><\/p>\n
\nUnion-Tribune (sandiegouniontribune.com)<\/a><\/p>\n