Caitlyn Jenner confirms she will run for governor of California
- California is expected to hold its second ever recall election sometime this year amid a backlash against Governor Gavin Newsom
- The 53-year-old Democrat has been criticised over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly the stay-at-home order
Olympic champion and Kardashian clan member Caitlyn Jenner on Friday said she has filed paperwork to run for governor of California, in a bid to become the first transgender American to win such a high-profile post.
“I’m in!” the 71-year-old transgender icon and former decathlete said in a statement, adding she will formally launch her campaign – presumably as a Republican – in the coming weeks.
Jenner is the most high-profile non-politician to run for governor since Hollywood legend Arnold Schwarzenegger clinched a shock victory as a Republican in California’s 2003 recall election. He served as governor for more than seven years.
Jenner’s bid is considered a long shot by experts.
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But it comes as Gavin Newsom, a suave 53-year-old Democrat from San Francisco, faces a backlash over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly his stay-at-home order that hit the state’s businesses and families hard.
California is expected to hold its second-ever recall election sometime this year, as the state’s anti-Newsom petition appears on track to secure the necessary number of signatures to trigger a recall vote.