GOP Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, Frequent Newsom Critic, Announces He's Running In California Recall Election

ROCKLIN (CBS13) — Assemblyman Kevin Kiley has announced Tuesday he'll be running to try and replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in the upcoming recall election.

A Republican, Kiley represents California's 6th State Assembly district - which includes a large part of Placer County as well as smaller parts of El Dorado and Sacramento counties. The district leans conservative.

Kiley has been one of Newsom's most vocal critics, being one of the lawmakers who sued the governor over his use of emergency powers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 36-year-old Sacramento-area native also released a book earlier in 2021 titled "Recall Newsom: The Case Against America's Most Corrupt Governor."

Kiley had previously teased that he was considering running in the recall election. He now joins a still-growing but already expansive list of GOP candidates running to try and replace Newsom.

Reality star Caitlyn Jenner, who also announced she is running in the election, also made moves on Tuesday - filing a motion that would try and stop Newsom from being able to get his political party next to his name on the recall ballot. The governor had to sue his own secretary of state to try and get the "D" for democrat next to his name due to a technicality in the filing process that left it off.

Other people who have announced they will be running in the recall election include previous GOP candidate for California governor John Cox, former mayor of San Diego Kevin Faulconer, and former US House Representative Doug Ose.

While some registered Democrats and others who position themselves as further to the left of the governor politically have announced they will be running, no Democratic politician who currently holds either a notable local or statewide office have thrown their hat into the ring against Newsom.