Jenner insists she leads the recall squad in California despite polls

SACRAMENTO – Reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner said on Friday she was leading all contenders to recall Governor Gavin Newsom despite poll and fundraiser totals suggesting otherwise, speaking to California political journalists at the time. of his first campaign press conference.

Jenner said she was planning a statewide bus tour the month before the September 14 recall and rejected a major May poll showing she was fourth among GOP hopefuls with just 6% support.

“Honestly, I’m not concerned about the poll,” she said, dismissing the poll as obsolete. “I guarantee you I’m in the lead.”

Jenner said she has no plans to drop out of the race before next week’s filing deadline and will provide five years of tax returns, as required by California’s chief electoral officer in under a new law.

“I have a huge advantage, obviously because of the name recognition,” Jenner said on her first trip to Sacramento about 10 weeks after declaring her candidacy.

Jenner said she came to Sacramento to discuss her intervention in a lawsuit by Newsom to have her party affiliation listed on the recall ballot. Arguments were heard several blocks away on Friday in a Sacramento courtroom after Newsom missed a deadline to include his Democratic affiliation – an option that only exists because Newsom signed a 2019 law that allows recall targets to indicate their preferred party. The judge is expected to announce his decision on Monday.

Republicans took the lawsuit as an example of Newsom trying to circumvent its own laws and rules, a theme they hammered home after the governor’s dinner at French Laundry restaurant as he pleaded with residents to stay home. In an interview with Fox News earlier Friday, Jenner claimed that “Gavin Newsom keeps changing the rules… he’s like a dictator here,” she said.

Jenner accused on Friday that Newsom was trying to circumvent the law and that Secretary of State Shirley Weber, a Democratic colleague appointed by Newsom, could give in. “I want to make sure she’s doing her job,” Jenner said, “and I want to be involved in this process.”

Given her talk on Election Law, Jenner was asked about her own sparse voting experience, as POLITICO discovered that she had missed almost two-thirds of elections dating back to 2000. “I voted when I was. needed, depending on the issues … so no, I have no regrets about something like that, “she said.” I’m actually very proud of my voting record. “

The former Olympian and Keeping Up With the Kardashians star made the comments during a 13-minute press conference at the Hyatt that marked her first media appearance in Sacramento during the campaign. recall. She has yet to host a public campaign or rally event in Northern California, and she left Sacramento without doing other events, according to her team.

Jenner said she was heading next door to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas – a stronghold of right-wing activists and supporters of former President Donald Trump – where she said she plans to make media. Trump is expected to be headlining this weekend.

Former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale advises Jenner. When asked if she wanted Trump’s approval in the recall, Jenner objected. “No, honestly, I’m not looking [it],” she said.

“I am an inclusive Republican,” she added. “To be honest with you, I don’t fit into that box. She said she did not meet Trump or discuss her campaign with him.

Jenner’s appearance underscored the unorthodox nature of the reality TV star’s governorship campaign, which has stalled in fundraising and has so far not released major endorsements. There has also been little evidence of traditional campaign facilities such as volunteers and county presidents. Members of Jenner’s famous Kardashians – whose joint wealth is estimated by Forbes at $ 2 billion – have so far not written checks or publicly backed her offer.

Jenner competes with a growing slate of GOP nominees that includes former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, businessman John Cox, former Rep. Doug Ose and Assembly Member Kevin Kiley. Sources say Tory talk show host Larry Elder is also expected to announce his run next week.

Faulconer’s campaign issued a homeless statement on Friday calling him “the top candidate to recall Gavin Newsom.” The May poll from the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies showed Faulconer and Cox were tied with 22% voter support, followed by Ose with 14% and Jenner with 6%.

“Mayor Faulconer is leading the movement to recall Gavin Newsom because Californians know he is the only candidate with the experience to lead on day one,” Faulconer spokesperson John Burke said. “He is committed to holding Newsom accountable for his failures while exhibiting a positive vision to bring real change to families in our state.”

Camryn Dadey contributed to this report.