Caitlyn Jenner, an Olympic gold medalist as Bruce Jenner before she transitioned and a cast member of the reality television show Keeping Up with the Kardashians,announced in April that she will run for governor of California. She claims she and the people of California have been unhappy with the way the current governor Gavin Newsome has been handling issues. 

In agreeing with those who supported a proposed recall of Newsome, Jenner tweeted, “Californians wanted better and need better from their politicians.” Jenner’s criticism of Newsom is mostly centered around his handling of the COVID-19 situation in California as many small businesses have gone under due to California’s strict lockdown orders. Jenner and those who supported the recall proposal also pointed to the closing of California’s schools, claiming that the social aspect for children and teens suffered as the governor prevented them from going back to school, taking part in normal day activities, and hanging out with their friends.

Jenner reported that she filed the paperwork to run for office as a Republican candidate. Some political observers have noted that Jenner’s campaign slogan “Save California” somewhat resembles former president Donald Trump’s “Make America great again” slogan.  According to the Axios news site, Jenner’s campaign team includes some of Trump’s former advisers, despite the fact that Jenner says she did not vote for Trump in the 2020 election. 

Jenner released her first campaign video in May, identifying herself as a “disruptor” in California’s possible recall of Newsome. Jenner’s most recent campaign advertisements promise to “restore and renew the California dream.”

Jenner has also tweeted, “ “I am a proven winner and the only outsider who can put an end to Gavin Newsome’s disastrous time as governor.”

However, some setbacks in Jenner’s campaign have been reported and caused a few eyebrows to be raised. Most notably, Jenner came out in support for a law banning amatuer transgender female athletes from competing in female sports. 

This stance was seen as a stab in the back to the transgender community by one of their own. The hypocrisy of Jenner’s stance on the issue was also pointed out as since her transition,  she has played in several amateur women’s golf tournaments and when playing in mixed gender scramble tournaments, she hits from the ladies’ tee box. 

Then came the release of a Jenner campaign video in which her first name was misspelled as “Cailyn.” The number of Californians that now see Jenner’s gubernatorial campaign as a publicity stunt or a joke have grown substantially since she announced her candidacy. 

Even if Jenner is serious about her candidacy, political observers and even the Las Vegas bookmakers see her as a longshot to win. But then again, the same was thought of Donald Trump’s chances of winning the presidency when he announced his candidacy on June 16, 2015.