“Caitlyn is not running for governor, has never considered running for governor and is very happy with the work she is doing to promote LGBT rights and spend time with her 18 grandchildren and 10 children,” Hutchins said in a statement. statement.
It is not the first time that 71-year-old Jenner, who starred on the hit show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” has been mentioned as a potential GOP political candidate. In 2017, Jenner said she was considering challenging Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Although Jenner didn’t ultimately run.
Jenner, a former Olympic gold medalist decathlete who came out as transgender in 2015, has been a politically active voice in recent years. After backing former President Donald Trump in the 2016 election, she sharply criticized him for his policies towards the LGBTQ community. In 2018, she wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post claiming that “the trans community is being brutally attacked by this president.”
Jenner’s extended family has also played a prominent role in politics. Kim Kardashian West, who was Jenner’s stepdaughter before Jenner’s divorce from Kris Jenner, worked with Trump on issues related to criminal justice reform.
The last time California had a recall was in 2003, when then Gov. Gray Davis was removed from office and replaced by Schwarzenegger, a Republican. Schwarzenegger, a professional bodybuilder and Hollywood actor, initially said he would not run for governor, but later announced his candidacy on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”
The 2003 recall, with more than 100 candidates, including in addition to Schwazenegger, entertainment figures such as the late actor Gary Coleman, the late “Hustler” publisher Larry Flynt and porn star Mary Carey.
With Newsom’s poll numbers falling, the chances of a recall election have gained momentum in recent weeks. Organizers say they have collected 1.4 million signatures and project they will have 1.6 million by the end of the weekend. They must submit 1.5 million valid signatures to the Secretary of State.
National Republicans took their first step on Thursday to invest in the California recall, with the Republican National Committee announcing plans to invest $ 250,000 in an effort to make the recall eligible for the vote.
Republican contenders are starting to emerge. John Cox, a wealthy businessman who was soundly beaten by Newsom in 2018, has announced his candidacy, as has former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer. Trump allies are encouraging Ric Grenell, who served as ambassador to Germany and director of national intelligence in the Trump administration, to flee.