Not even Caitlyn Jenner’s kids think she should be governor of California
Caitlyn Jenner pictured with Kourtney, Kim and Kendall in 2016 (Kevin Mazur/Getty)
It’s not clear exactly who told Caitlyn Jenner she should run for governor of California, but it’s safe to say the idea didn’t come from her family.
The Olympian and reality TV star baffled many when she announced her campaign to replace incumbent governor Gavin Newsom, who is facing a recall election later this year.
If Jenner succeeds she would be the first woman elected to the state’s highest office as well as the first transgender person to become governor of the state – but that doesn’t mean she’s got queer voters on her side.
Her past support for Donald Trump has seen swathes of the LGBT+ community distance themselves from her controversial campaign, as have her own children, it’s emerged.
TMZ reports that Jenner’s sons Brody, Brandon and Burt Jenner are “embarrassed” by her candidacy and specifically didn’t want her to run as they don’t feel she’s qualified for the position.
A source told the publication that Jenner called the brothers the night before she publicly announced her decision to run, but decided to ignore their misgivings.
They are said to be “upset she never took the family’s feelings into consideration [as] by the time she called them she had already made her decision”.
Additionally, the Kardashian clan has already made clear they won’t be hitting the campaign trail with Jenner due to a clash of political ideas, TMZ reports.
Even though Jenner disavowed Trump two years into his presidency after his many attacks on trans people, her right-wing political leanings are said to remain an issue in the family.
However, it’s been reported that the Kardashians won’t stand against her by endorsing any of the other candidates over her.
Jenner has reportedly roped in an array of GOP operatives, fundraisers and pollsters for her campaign, including many who worked with Trump on his 2016 and 2020 election bids.
But even with her dream team behind her it looks like any support from her fellow Republicans will be thin on the ground.
The right-wing radio host Charlie Kirk told told Fox News on Monday (16 April) that he wouldn’t be backing Caitlyn Jenner because “biological standards matter”.
“It’s very important that we’re clear about who represents our party,” he said in a statement that did not cite any of Jenner’s policy positions and carefully avoided using her pronouns.
As California Democrat Karen Bass succinctly put it to ABC: “Considering all of the anti-trans legislation around the country that Republicans have put forward, I have a hard time imagining that Republicans are gonna vote for a Republican trans candidate for governor.”
