Republican Doug Ose says he’ll run against Gavin Newsom if recall qualifies

Former Republican Congressman Doug Ose plans to run against Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in the event of a recall election.

Ose made the announcement Tuesday afternoon on Sacramento radio station KFBK. Speaking with The Sacramento Bee shortly afterward, Ose said he wants to fix the problems that Newsom has failed to address

“I’ve lived in this state all my life, and I’ve never seen it in such a state of disarray,” he said. “We don’t know if our schools are open, we don’t know where to get a shot, we don’t know if our businesses are open, we don’t even know if we can go back to work.”

“I think we need to get our schools open, I think we need to get our businesses open, I think we need to tackle homelessness and drug addiction and mental illness that is so prevalent there. I think we need to repeal AB 5,” he added, referring to the 2019 law known as Assembly Bill 5 that directs employers to provide benefits to more workers.

“I think we need to figure out a way where we bring clarity to people’s lives rather than make it more confusing as governor Newsom has done for the past two years,” Ose said.

Ose represented California’s third congressional district, which covered most of Sacramento, from 1999 to 2005. He had previously thought about running for governor in 2018, but backed out early in the race.

Most recently, he has been a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, though he denounced the Jan. 6 riots and said the party needed to “move on” from Trump’s loss.

A recall election would likely be far different than a typical gubernatorial race. In a recall, the requirements for getting on the ballot are relatively easy, which means California voters could see dozens of candidates on the ballots.

Ose said he expects 100 candidates to run for governor in a recall election, but believes he’s the most qualified.

“I think each of us is going to have to make their case,”he said. “I think the issues are clear, and of all the candidates that are going to appear, I only know of one who’s been successful in governor, successful in business and in identifying problems and creating solutions across party lines that benefit people’s everyday lives, and that’s me.”

The former congressmen joins two other Republicans looking to take Newsom’s job in a recall. Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and businessman John Cox have also launched campaigns. Newsom defeated Cox in 2018.

Wednesday is the final day for recall proponents to turn in signatures, after which, county election officials have until April 29 to verify that the campaign has the 1.5 million valid signatures needed to trigger a recall. If the campaign meets the necessary requirements, Californians could expect a chance to vote as soon as October or November.

This story was originally published March 16, 2021 at 4:34 PM.