Jenner announces run for Calif. governor
LOS ANGELES — At a time when transgender rights have become the new culture war in American politics, Republican Olympian-turnedcelebrity Caitlyn Jenner announced a historic campaign Friday to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in Califronia’s recall election.
“As Californias, we face a now-ornever opportunity to fundamentally fix our state before its too late,” tweeted Jenner, 71. “Taking on entrenched Sacramento politicians and the special interests that fund them requires a fighter who isn’t afraid to do what is right. I am a proven winner and the only outsider who can put an end to Gavin Newsom’s disastrous time as governor.”
The move comes as vocal segments of her party are pushing dozens of bills to curtail rights for transgender people across the nation.
The effort to recall Newsom is expected to qualify for the ballot soon, with an election in the fall. Other Republicans running include former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, former Rep. Doug Ose and businessman John Cox.
Though transgender politicians have been elected to office in recent years, notably Democrats Delaware State Sen. Sarah McBride in 2020 and Virginia Del. Danica Roem in 2017, Jenner is the most prominent to try as she seeks one of the most powerful offices in the country.
Her run is juxtaposed with dozens of efforts across the nation aimed at denying transgender right, including barring transgender students
from playing on girls’ sports teams and classifying hormone therapy as child abuse. These efforts are being advocated by former President Trump and Republican lawmakers across the country as part of a strategy some predict will help the GOP during next year’s midterm elections.
“This is the largest, most widespread onslaught against trans rights and certainly specifically trans children, that we have ever seen,” said Charlotte Clymer, an LGBTQ activist who’s critical of Jenner. “Given Caitlyn Jenner’s interest in running for governor of California, you’d expect her to speak out on these things. But she hasn’t really been out there.”
It’s a familiar quandary for Jenner, who has said she has received more flack for being Republican than for announcing that she identified as a trans woman in 2015. She describes herself as fiscally conservative and socially liberal, and publicly supported Trump in the 2016 election.
Jenner previously toyed with challenging Sen. Dianne Feinstein in 2018. But this is the first time she has officially announced a run for office. In her announcement, Jenner slammed Newsom’s pandemic closure policies, saying they have harmed schoolchildren and small business owners.
“This isn’t the California we know. This is Gavin Newsom’s California, where he orders us to stay home but goes out to dinner with his lobbyist friends,” Jenner wrote, referring to an infamous birthday dinner Newsom attended at the exclusive French Laundry restaurant.