Caitlyn Jenner visits Australia as recall campaign intensifies in California

SACRAMENTO – California gubernatorial candidate Caitlyn Jenner flew to Australia just two months before Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recall election, a crucial step in which candidates buy airtime and are campaigning before postal voting begins next month.

A spokesperson for Jenner’s campaign confirmed the overseas trip with POLITICO after Australian tabloids reported that she was in Sydney to appear on “Big Brother VIP.”

“I honor a work commitment I made before I even decided to run for governor. There is no pause at all in this race to save CA!” Jenner said on twitter Friday.

Jenner’s spokeswoman said on Friday she would be back in time to campaign across California on a “bus tour” ahead of the Sept. 14 contest.

But it’s unclear how long Jenner will stay in Australia, which has placed much stricter restrictions than California and the United States as the country tries to contain outbreaks due to the Delta variant. Sydney remains under lockdown until at least July 30. Jenner’s arrival has angered some Australians, according to media reports, as the country has strictly limited the number of citizens who can return home due to Covid-19 issues.

The former Olympian spoke out against the restrictions in California and made that argument part of her case against Newsom. “Draconian blocks didn’t work before and won’t work now!” When will politicians get it? ” it said on June 29 on Twitter about a Los Angeles County mask recommendation.

Jenner took to Twitter to answer questions about whether the trip meant she was ending her gubernatorial candidacy. The trip could have lasted a month due to quarantine and registration requirements.

“My campaign team is fully operational and so am I. I’m in this race to win for California because it’s worth fighting for it,” Jenner said.

Friday is the deadline for candidates to file documents and tax returns to run to replace Newsom in the recall elections. That list won’t be available until this weekend, a spokesperson for the California secretary of state said. Jenner filed for candidacy on Thursday, according to Los Angeles County records.

Republican candidates include former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, businessman John Cox, former Rep. Doug Ose, and Assembly Member Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin).

While Jenner may not have name identification issues than her competitors, this is her first time ever and she has so far held few press conferences or public events. . Jenner instead focused on appearances on national television to attract voters.

Polls so far show Newsom has a good chance of beating the recall effort despite criticism it has faced for its handling of the pandemic. Republicans this week seized his call to impose masks in schools and blamed him for the return of an ordinance on masks in Los Angeles County, as he grapples with a spike in the Delta virus variant.

Tara Palmeri contributed to this report.