In a Facebook Live announcement on Tuesday, California GOP Representative Brian Dahle announced he will challenge incumbent Governor Gavin Newsom in the upcoming gubernatorial election.
Dahle has represented the state’s rural northern district for twelve years and was elected to the Senate in 2019. He cannot run for re-election in 2024 due to term limits.
Dahle announced his candidacy on Tuesday outside the Civic Center in Redding, California. He is the first GOP candidate to enter the upcoming race against the sitting governor, who won in a decisive victory in a recall election five months ago.
Larry Elder, the Republican who won the most votes in the recall, has said he will not challenge Newsom this year. Few Republicans are expected to enter the California gubernatorial race due to the high cost of running in one of the country’s most expensive media markets. Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer filed paperwork intending to run for governor but has yet to launch a campaign.
In a press release prior to his announcement, Dahle said, “Californians are generous people. We are bonded together by hard work, a belief in family and community. People want to believe again in the California Dream. The consequences of failure are too great. I want to continue to be part of achieving that dream.”
