Caitlyn Jenner, the 1976 Olympic decathlon champion, filed initial paperwork to run for governor of California and plans a formal announcement in the coming weeks.
“The significance of this decision is not lost on me,” Jenner, who launched a “Caitlyn for California” campaign on CaitlynJenner.com, said in a press release. “The sacrifice is significant, but responsibility is great, and I can’t wait to lead, to help and most importantly disrupt the status quo once again.”
At least two Olympians have served as governor of a state -- 1956 Olympic ice hockey player Wendell Anderson (Minnesota) and 1964 Olympic speed skater Judy Morstein (Montana), according to Bill Mallon of Olympedia.org.
Jenner, 71 and a longtime Republican, consulted with GOP advisers as she considered joining the field of candidates hoping to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in a likely recall election later this year.
Election officials are still reviewing petition signatures required to qualify the recall for the ballot. Several other Republicans have also announced plans to run.
If the recall qualifies for the ballot, as expected, voters would be asked two questions: first, whether Newsom should be removed from office. The second would be a list of replacement candidates to choose from, if more than 50% of voters support removing Newsom from office.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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