Musician Tim Myers Announces Run For Lt. Governor In 2026

In an announcement on Monday, musician and former OneRepublic bassist Tim Myers said that he would be running for Lt. Governor in 2026, with Myers also dropping out of the 41st District House race barely 2 months into his campaign.

According to Myers, he switched his campaign from Congress to Lt. Governor for several reasons, including disagreements with Trump administration policies, a political system “dominated by career politicians and special interests,” homelessness, recent ICE actions, healthcare funding cuts, proposed education cuts, affordable housing, environmental issues, and crime.

“Since announcing my campaign for Congress in the town where I grew up, I’ve witnessed things that are deeply disturbing – and impossible to ignore. California is under attack,” said Myers on YouTube and X on Monday. “Donald Trump and his allies are deliberately targeting our state. Cutting Medicaid and kicking millions of California adults and children off healthcare, threatening funding for our colleges and public schools, and sending in ICE to intimidate peaceful communities.

“I’ve heard from neighbors and friends whose homes and small businesses were robbed. I’ve watched homelessness grow. I’ve seen backdoor deals and political corruption – not just from Trump and his billionaire allies in Washington, but right here in our own backyard in California. I’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with protesters demanding change. But when I looked around, I didn’t see our state politicians standing with us. And I realized: I can’t stay silent. I can’t stay on the sidelines. That’s why I’m shifting my campaign from Congress to California Lieutenant Governor – to represent all 40 million voices across this state and to fight for a Government that actually works for us.

“With Trump’s attacks on California and a broken political system dominated by career politicians and special interests, people are hurting – and new leadership is desperately needed. I’m a dad, a husband, a businessman, an activist, and the son of a pastor who taught me that faith without action is meaningless. I want to bring a fresh, strong voice to Sacramento. As Lieutenant Governor, I’ll fight to protect California from federal overreach and fix the dysfunction in our own state. I’ll fight back with common-sense solutions – ones that make it possible to raise a family here, afford housing, protect our environment, and restore safety and trust in our communities.

“I’ve always said: You don’t choose the time – the time chooses you. And the time has chosen us to stand up for California’s future. One voice is weak, but a chorus is strong. Let’s write a new song for California – Together. I’m Tim Myers and I’m officially running for Lieutenant Governor of California. Let’s build something better.”

Another Lt. Governor candidate

In over two decades as a musician with OneRepublic and a solo act, Myers has been nominated for Grammys and has had songs reach as high as number 2 on the Billboard charts. However, Myers enters the Lt. Governor race with little to no prior political experience whatsoever. While another musician, Sonny Bono, previously won a Congressional race in the Palm Springs region in 1994, and served until his death in 1998, he did so with previous experience. Before running for Congress, Bono was the Mayor of Palm Springs from 1988 to 1992 and before that was a well known political fundraiser. Myers, on the other hand, hasn’t had so much as a previous run for office or a commissioned position to back himself up on, outside of the two-and-a-half months of being a Congressional candidate. And for Lt. Governor, that position has never been held by someone with previous entertainment experience before – if one doesn’t include Gavin Newsom’s moonlighting as a podcast host.

In running for Lt. Governor, Myers joins a fluctuating field of high-profile candidates including former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs (D), State Treasurer Fiona Ma (D), Sausalito City Councilor Janelle Kellman (D), and California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryman (D). While several have joined the race in the past few months, several others have also withdrawn to focus on other campaigns, including former state Senator Steven Bradford (D) and businessman and former Congressional candidate David Serpa (R).

Myers is likewise running for Lt. Governor after dropping out of the Inland Empire-Palm Springs based 41st Congressional District race, which he only entered in April.  On Monday, Myers’ team quickly took down the Congressional campaign website, while opponents in the race, led by incumbent Congressman Ken Calvert (R-CA) pointed out how Democrats were unable to hold onto candidates for very long in several races, with Myers as the newest highlight.

“In the latest embarrassment for House Democrats, another highly-touted recruit Tim Myers has abruptly bowed out, proving once again that even their own candidates know their campaigns are doomed from the start. With growing doubts, weak fundraising, and a toxic national brand, House Democrats can’t even keep their handpicked contenders in the race against proven leaders like Republican Ken Calvert,” explained National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesman Christian Martinez on Monday.

“House Democrats can’t keep their handpicked contenders in the race because even their own recruits know they can’t win, and they’re dropping like flies. Democrats are heading into November with a weak bench, a toxic and violent brand, and nothing to offer California voters except higher taxes and open borders.”

While Myers enters the Lt. Governor race with some name recognition and an already formed campaign team thanks to his previous Congressional run, he is also at a disadvantage to the more established campaigns in the race with support bases and matured fundraising machines, especially those of Ma and Tubbs.

More on Myers’ campaign is to come out soon, including if the musician will join early Lt. Governor debates and roundtables with the more polished candidates already running.