Caitlyn Jenner, a former Olympic gold medalist, reality TV star and transgender rights advocate, announced April 23 that she will be running for governor of California amid the recall of current Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Newsom’s critics and recall organizers submitted 2.1 million petition signatures, pulling in enough signatures to qualify for an official recall election this November. Only six recall elections have been successful in California, and this is the first time a transgender candidate will be running on a Republican ticket.

“As Californians, we face a now-or-never opportunity to fundamentally fix our state before it's too late,” Jenner wrote in a press release. “Taking on entrenched Sacramento politicians and the special interests that fund them requires a fighter who isn’t afraid to do what is right. I am a proven winner and the only outsider who can put an end to Gavin Newsom’s disastrous time as governor.” 

Californians will be asked to cast two votes: whether or not to replace Newsom and a candidate to replace him. Jenner is one of multiple Republican candidates running against Newsom, and is seeking assistance from Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, Brad Parscale.

Widespread criticism of Newsom ignited when the governor was found eating out at a luxury restaurant with a large group in November, despite telling Californians to stay home to fight the spread of COVID-19. However, Fred Smoller, a Chapman University campaigns and elections professor, believes Newsom will stay in office and regain popularity as time passes.

“I would say the polls suggest that right now, the governor will not be recalled,” Smoller said. “The further we get away from the pandemic and the economy comes back, businesses open and kids get back in school. I think the air will come out of this campaign and the governor will be in a much better position in 2022.”

Smoller told The Panther that Jenner’s target demographic will likely be those who prefer anyone but Newsom in office.

“I think some people will vote for her because she is a Republican, but I think many people who tend to be conservative Christians will not vote for a transgender candidate,” Smoller said.

Before transitioning, Jenner had a successful career as an Olympian and furthered her fame when she married into the Kardashian family in 1991. Since Jenner has been embedded in the public sphere for so long, her immense name recognition may generate an avenue to appeal to a broad range of voters. 

“Caitlyn Jenner is running as a Republican, but she is also a high-profile transgender woman,” said Mona Shadia, a Chapman political science professor. “We’ve seen so far that Equality California, which is a leading transgender organization that supports LGBTQ rights, has come out against Jenner’s hopes to run for governor.”

Currently, the Republican party is pushing against transgender rights in at least 28 states. As a  well-known transgender public figure, Shadia told The Panther it is quite contradictory for Jenner to be running as a Republican.

“Even in Chapman Republicans, there are some different views on it. Some people will vote for her and pick her over a Democrat while other people would not vote for her at all,” said Abbey Umali, a senior double major in psychology and music and member of Chapman Republicans.

No matter who is running for governor of California, Shadia told The Panther it is extremely important to be informed about who you are voting for. 

“I really encourage all Californians to vote,” Shadia said. “In 2003, only 9.4 million of California residents voted for the recall. That's a very small number compared to the number of residents who live in the state.”