De Boer worked for Daily News until May 2009, when he resigned to contest a by-election in Umhlanga as the Democratic Alliance candidate.[1] He won the by-election in June 2009.[2] He won a full term in 2011 and was re-elected in 2016.[3][4]
On 20 March 2018, he was elected deputy caucus leader of the DA.[5] He resigned from the post on 3 April 2018 after serving less than two weeks.[6]