The longtime Republican and former Trump supporter will challenge Gavin Newsom in a likely recall election.
Former Olympic decathlete and reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner has filed papers to challenge California Governor Gavin Newsom in a recall election.
Jenner, an American sports icon and gold medalist in 1976, rose to reality TV fame after appearing in Keeping Up with the Kardashians, a series that debuted in 2007.
The longtime Republican, born Bruce Jenner, made a public transition from 2015. She had been a Trump supporter, but broke with the former president after his defeat. federal guidelines which allowed transgender students to use the bathrooms of their choice.
“California has been my home for almost 50 years. I came here because I knew that anyone, no matter their background or status in life, could turn their dreams into reality, ”Jenner said in a statement announcing her candidacy. “But over the past decade, we’ve seen the Golden State’s glow diminished by the one-party regime that places politics on progress and special interests on people. Sacramento needs an honest leader with a clear vision. “
She added, “Over the next few weeks, I will be meeting with Californians from across the state – from North Bay to the Central Valley to Orange County and San Diego – to hear their voices and finally move this state forward. in the right direction.
“The importance of this decision is not lost on me. The sacrifice is great, but the responsibility is great, and I look forward to leading, helping and most importantly disrupting the status quo again.
Jenner has assembled a team of senior Republican officials, including former members of Trump’s campaign and the White House team, Axios News reported. Among them, Steven Cheung, a former member of Trump’s communications staff who worked on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s successful recall campaign in 2003, the news site reported.
She is expected to present herself as socially liberal and fiscally conservative, saying in her announcement that: “Taxes are too high, kill jobs, hurt families and place a particularly heavy burden on our most vulnerable people.”
In June 2020, opponents of the Democratic governor, Newsom, started submitting signatures supporting an election recall, citing what they called its mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic, among other criticisms. The California Secretary of State is currently validating that these signatures meet the threshold to trigger the recall election.
Newsom, who was elected in 2018, blamed the effort on Republicans bristling with coronavirus restrictions.
