Carl DeMaio, an openly gay
congressional candidate, on Thursday released an ad which includes
his long-term partner.
DeMaio, a former San Diego councilman
who lost a 2012 bid for mayor, is one of three openly gay Republican
congressional candidates.
In the 88-second ad, titled A New
Generation Republican, a female announcer describes DeMaio as a
“problem solver who isn't afraid to be different.”
As the narrator says, “He believes in
equality and diversity and is a defender of our personal freedoms,”
DeMaio is first seen holding hands with partner Jonathan Hale at the
San Diego Gay Pride Parade, then waving a rainbow flag. (The video
is embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)
DeMaio, who is hoping to unseat
Democratic Rep. Scott Peters in the 52nd district, told
The
Wall Street Journal: “This is who I am. It's something
that's important to me. I want to embrace equality, and feel like
the party should, too.”
However, DeMaio's mayoral candidacy was
marred by criticism that he did not speak out against Proposition 8,
California's now-defunct gay marriage ban, and for answering that
he's single in a questionnaire for The San Diego Union-Tribune,
despite his relationship with Hale.
DeMaio told the Journal that
campaign consultants persuaded him against including Hale in his
mayoral campaign.