Reform California Chairman and State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio announced today the launch of \u201c26 in 2026,\u201d an aggressive, grassroots voter-turnout campaign designed to win 26 targeted legislative seats and help pass the California Voter ID Initiative in the 2026 midterm election. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor too long, Republicans in California have played defense and relied on expensive, ineffective tactics,\u201d DeMaio said. \u201cWe\u2019re done lighting money on fire with TV ads that voters ignore. If we want to win in California, we have to out-organize, out-work, and out-turnout the Left.\u201d <\/p>\n
Research on political campaigns overwhelmingly shows that personal contact with a voter is up to ten times more effective than television ads or mass mailers when it comes to getting ballots returned and persuading voters. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not theory \u2014 that\u2019s reality,\u201d DeMaio said. \u201cA conversation at the door beats a glossy mailer every single time. California elections are won by turnout, and turnout is driven by personal contact.\u201d <\/p>\n
That reality is the foundation of the \u201c26 in 2026\u201d campaign \u2014 a program built around handwritten letters, door-to-door conversations, neighborhood events, and easy-to-use voter guides. <\/p>\n
Turnout in California midterm elections collapses compared to presidential years \u2014 falling from roughly seventy-eight percent in 2024 to just thirty-five to forty-five percent in midterms, depending on the region. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat drop-off is the whole ballgame,\u201d DeMaio said. \u201cWhoever motivates their voters wins \u2014 and Republicans lose when our voters stay home. \u201826 in 2026\u2019 is how we fix that.\u201d <\/p>\n
The campaign\u2019s goal is to turn out seven hundred thousand low-propensity conservative voters statewide \u2014 voters who would not normally participate in a midterm election \u2014 and to concentrate that turnout in twenty-six target districts. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf we add fifteen to twenty-five thousand votes in each of these seats, we flip the map,\u201d DeMaio said. \u201cIt\u2019s math, not magic.\u201d
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\u200dTASK ONE: Reach 26 Voters at Their Door <\/p>\n
Reform California is recruiting twenty-six thousand volunteers statewide to personally engage low-propensity voters in targeted districts using lists provided by the organization. <\/p>\n
Volunteers commit to completing twenty-six real, face-to-face conversations with voters \u2014 not just dropping literature and walking away. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis program only works if we actually talk to voters,\u201d DeMaio said. \u201cDoor hangers are fine, but conversations are what count. We\u2019re asking people to make a real commitment \u2014 because winning requires effort.\u201d <\/p>\n
TASK TWO: Organize a \u201cBarbecue, Beer & Ballots\u201d Event <\/p>\n
Volunteers are also needed to host or help fill Reform California\u2019s \u201cBarbecue, Beer & Ballots\u201d events in October 2026 \u2014 community-based events that make voting easy, social, and secure while distributing Reform California\u2019s endorsed voter guide. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is our version of ballot harvesting \u2014 legal, transparent, and effective,\u201d DeMaio said. \u201cWe make voting convenient, we give voters the information they need, and we make sure ballots actually get turned in.\u201d <\/p>\n
Each volunteer commits to hosting an event or delivering twenty-six attendees to a public event. <\/p>\n
TASK THREE: Contribute Early <\/p>\n
Executing a statewide turnout operation requires resources \u2014 and early support matters most. <\/p>\n
\u201cEarly money is force-multiplying money,\u201d DeMaio said. \u201cIt allows us to hit fundraising milestones that unlock matching funds and expand this program faster. If you want results in 2026, the time to invest is now.\u201d <\/p>\n
The \u201c26 in 2026\u201d campaign reflects a simple reality: California can be won \u2014 but only if Republicans are willing to do the work.
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DeMaio said the stakes in 2026 could not be higher \u2014 for the Legislature, for election integrity, and for the future direction of California. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Left wins in California because they organize year-round and turn out their voters,\u201d DeMaio said. \u201cIf we match that effort \u2014 and focus it where it matters \u2014 we win seats, we win reforms, and we pass Voter ID.\u201d <\/p>\n
He closed with a direct challenge to supporters across the state. <\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone can do something,\u201d DeMaio said. \u201cDrive to a target district. Talk to your neighbors. Host an event. Donate early. But do something.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is how we take California back \u2014 one voter, one neighborhood, and one district at a time.\u201d <\/p>\n