By Galilea Flores Hernandez
Recent investigations have uncovered a troubling trend within political campaigns—the use of misleading mailers designed to sway public opinion.
In the realm of elections campaigns, the distribution of mailers has long been a staple strategy to reach voters. It is important to look into who is behind these mailers if you receive them.
For example, The California Latino Voter Alliance (CLVA) Endorsement Guide has reached the homes of many by mail. CLVA’s website claims it will educate Latino voters on policies and candidates. CLVA is a project from the Reform Local Government (RLG) organization, a Republican entity endorsing Trump. According to their websites, both entities are under FPPC #1452276.
CLVA is currently promoting Kevin Juza as the Democratic candidate for Assembly District 75. Yet, ads they send simultaneously endorse Republican propositions and candidates. This inconsistency raises questions about the credibility of the organization’s messaging, especially considering that the California Latino Voter Alliance Endorsement Guide fails to disclose its connection to the RLG group and Republican causes.
Why might CLVA be endorsing a Democratic candidate? Carl DeMaio, a self-proclaimed conservative, is also running for state assembly for District 75 and is also running ads promoting Juza. According to Juza’s Twitter, “…Carl thinks it’ll be easier to run against me in general,” referring to the November 5 general election. We contacted Kevin Juza, Carl DeMaio, and Reform Local Government, but we did not hear back.
Joy Frew, another candidate for the position and a Democrat, believes DeMaio is running Juza ads because Juza will be easier to beat. Frew raised the question, “Would you vote for a candidate that is being endorsed by the opposing party?”
North County Informador’s recent Readership Study found that 98% of our readers are very or somewhat concerned about fake news, which can include political efforts. By empowering voters to make informed decisions based on unbiased information, we can safeguard the integrity of our democratic process and ensure that the voices of all communities are heard and respected.