Please, Someone, Stop the Celebrities From Running For Office!

Republican Caitlyn Jenner is reportedly seriously considering a run for governor of California against incumbent Gavin Newsom in the expected recall election that will likely take place in November.

According to Axios, Jenner has met with a number of political consultants about her potential bid for office, including GOP fundraiser Caroline Wren. Wren previously worked on a fundraising committee for Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign and was partially responsible for organizing the Trump rally that preceded the January 6th siege on the U.S. Capitol. Jenner voted for Trump in 2016, and although she’s publicly spoken out against some of Trump’s bigoted policies that harmed LGBTQ people, her choice of advisor is a perfect reminder that her politics are not that different from the former president’s.

Although experts agree that it’s a long shot that Jenner would gain enough support to be elected as governor of California, it’s clear that she’s attempting to follow the same path as bodybuilder and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger, a Republican, was elected to the position of California governor in 2003 after the incumbent, Democrat Gray Davis, was recalled.

The effort to recall current governor Newsom began last year over frustrations about the restrictions he’d implemented in order to curb the spread of covid-19 and gained momentum after a number of California Republicans voiced their support of the recall. Only 1.5 million signatures were required in order to get the measure on the ballot, and recall supporters have reportedly turned in more than 2 million signatures. A recent poll found that 56% of likely California voters said they would vote against removing Newsom, putting the incumbent governor in a solid position to defeat the recall effort.