State Senator Brian Dahle announced his campaign in Redding, the largest city in his rural north state district. "We will beat back the socialist special interests that have funded California's pathetic decline from greatness for 25 years of one-party rule," said Dahle.
So far, none of the Republicans who ran in last year's recall election are trying again. Newsom soundly defeated the recall and still has $25 million in the bank.
Dahle called Newsom a dictator who doesn't follow his own pandemic rules, pointing to photos of the governor maskless at a recent NFL game.
While Dahle didn't present a policy platform, he did blame problems like homelessness and the cost of living on Democrats, who control the legislature and all statewide elected offices.
GOP political consultant Tim Rosales says he doesn't remember a time when the party didn't have a candidate of stature until this late just a month before the filing deadline. But with Dahle, "He's somebody who certainly has the ability and the record to be a good counter-voice to Governor Newsom," said Rosales.
Rosales said in addition to the normal hurdles statewide Republican candidates face, this year there's another: Donors are more focused on congressional races and burned out after the recall.
