Home>Articles>BREAKING: National Radio Host Larry Elder Announces Run For CA Governor in Newsom Recall

Larry Elder. (Photo: @LarryElder Twitter)

BREAKING: National Radio Host Larry Elder Announces Run For CA Governor in Newsom Recall

‘We’ve got a state to save!’

By Katy Grimes, July 12, 2021 5:57 pm

“The Sage from South Central,” nationally syndicated talk radio host Larry Elder opens his daily radio show with, “We’ve got a country to save!”

Elder announced Monday he is running for California Governor in the Recall Election of Gov. Gavin Newsom. These days Elder says, “We’ve got a state to save!” #WeveGotAStateToSave

“Months ago I was asked to run for governor by radio host Dennis Prager, and I said ‘Hell No,'” Elder said Monday. “But then more people, and more people and more people I respect asked me to do it.”

“I’ve never run for public office before,” Elder said. “Wait… I did run for class president in 5th grade.”

Elder told about how his parents who moved to California years ago and raised their three boys on his father’s janitor’s salary, and his mom was a stay-at-home-mom. Elder said it cannot be done today because California is so expensive.

He lamented as a child the mediocre public school he attended, and his mother said they could not afford to send him to a better school, but someday he cold grow up and do something about it.

“That someday is here,” Elder said. “I am running for Governor of California.”

He announced his campaign website: electelder.com “He does not have campaign restrictions, but I do,” Elder said, explaining that he’s going to need a lot of campaign contributions if he’s going to win and oust Gavin Newsom.

“The California Recall is set for September 14th. It’s a two-step deal: 1) Do you want Gavin Newsom recalled, and 2) Whom do you want to replace him? More on this…” Elder said when he opened his show last week, leaving listeners hanging.

Elder has made no secret of his support for recalling “this arrogant Democrat Governor,” Gavin Newsom, while asserting Newsom does practically everything to avoid a recall.

“Governor Gavin Newsom… lunching at the French Laundry… this guy’s got to go!” Elder said in a short video last week thanking listeners for their overwhelming support as he was considering running, in his regular #RobeRage video.

“This man currently in office, imposed the most draconian lockdown measures than any other state in the union, to the point where one-third of California businesses will never reopen. One-third.” Elder said on his show. “The other things Gavin Newsom did have absolutely nothing to do with science.”

Elder says 75% of California’s black students cannot read at grade level. About this issue and many others, Elder has talked for 30 years, issues inherent to Democrat rule in the downfall of California: high taxes, failing public schools, water needs, debt and spending, ignoring infrastructure needs, undermining the rule of law, high crime, the homeless epidemic, drug addiction, spike in crime, Gov. Newsom’s release of thousands of prisoners, the “defund the police” movement, “paying meth addicts not to smoke meth,” and many others.

“This is idiotic. But this is what they do in this state,” Elder said Monday.

“Everything Newsom Does in California is to Avoid Recall:” Elder criticizes Newsom daily for nutty policy actions such as in January the governor and Legislature approved $2.6 billion in rental assistance but has only released $61.6 million – less than 5%. “This is nuts!” Elder said.

“I’m holding in my baby brown Libertarian fingers this LA Times headline: ‘California set to extend eviction protections, pay 100% of back rent,'” Elder said recently.

“For those of you outside of California, everything is done in the context of the recall election, because there is going to be a recall election” Elder said.

“All of a sudden, renters are getting free money!”

“The state is worse off than I thought. Bill Jones says we have water infrastructure in this state to support 20 million, in a state of 40 million,” Elder said of his recent interview with former California Secretary of State Bill Jones. Underground storage is one solution Elder and Jones discussed, but he said he alone can’t fix the water infrastructure immediately.

The SEIU union poured $5 million into the anti-recall side, Elder said Monday. “They’re going to come after me with a vengeance.” Elder said he has “no hope in hell of winning unless hundreds of thousands of you step up and help with funding.”

Elder is an attorney and his radio talk show is based in Southern California. Elder coined the phrase “victicrat,” (as in ‘no victicrats allowed’) someone who lives by a theology of victimization, who blames all ills, problems, concerns, and unhappiness on others. He is also a producer and writer, known for Uncle Tom (2020),  Uncle Tom: Part II (2021), and The Larry Elder Podcast (2016), according to his IMDB profile.

Elder, who has 876,900 Twitter followers in addition to his national radio show, would most likely attract significant national campaign contributions, as well as fired up California conservatives and Trump supporters. He may be the “celebrity” naysayers have been saying is needed to win in the recall. 

From his campaign website:

Why I’m Running

I’m running for Governor because the decline of California isn’t the fault of its people. Our government is what’s ruining the Golden State. Our schools are closed to both students and their parents. Our streets aren’t safe from rising violent crime or the disaster of rising homelessness. And the scandals of Sacramento aren’t going to stop on their own. It’s time to tell the truth. We’ve got a state to save.

 

2018 AM1380 TheAnswer Larry Elder event with Phil Cowan, moderated by Katy Grimes. (Photo: Randy Licht)

Your Globe editor moderated a panel talk with Larry Elder and AM1380 THEANSWER Sacramento radio host Phil Cowan in 2018.

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64 thoughts on “BREAKING: National Radio Host Larry Elder Announces Run For CA Governor in Newsom Recall

  1. You’ve got my vote! I used to listen to you years ago on my way home late from work! Always impressed with your values! Go Larry Elder!

    1. Larry is the best candidate. He is the only public figure who talks about all of the issues of California, the closing of schools and youth activities, the turmoil for parents and children as a result, the shutting down of family/main street businesses, the power outages and shutting down of natural gas power plants, the lack of support for a middle of the road solution to water storage, utilizing aquifiers, the defund the police mentality when most police departments practice community policing and engage with the community going back 20 years, the homeless issue and practical solutions that are fair and respectful, and worst of all, the One Party State dominance, particularly, utizing PG&E as a piggy bank, diverting funds for gas and power line maintenance resulting in wildfires and gas explosions in neigborhoods in San Bruno and Fresno, to pay 7% dividends to fund bankrupt public employee pensions.

      1. John – Excellent and most complete listing of California issues. If you don’t mind, I’d like to borrow your list. I’ll trademark it for you! ™️

    2. larry is an idiot. Y Dennis didn’t RUNNNN Because: It’s gonna look bad When I and Millions of Black families get out and VOTE……. WE WILL VOTE NO ON THE RECALL. We will leave the 2nd question blank because: we won’t vote yes. yes.

  2. Praise God, thank you Larry Elder.
    Praying for God’s blessings upon you and your campaign. Lord we are in it to WIN. Amen

    1. I have listened to Larry’s show for 30 years, read a number of his books, and learned from him about conservative principles, economics, and character. He is a really good guy, one of the most principled people I have ever known. He has never sought political office before. But, at this time, he said yesterday he feels a moral and spiritual obligation to do what he can to save our broken California.

  3. Elder is smart, articulate, and would make a great governor…I think it’s time that we elected someone who speaks for the majority of the citizens of California and who knows how to get this state back to where we need to be –back to being number 1!

  4. WOW, splitting more Republican votes. I like Larry, I just sure hope this goes well and Newsom is out of office.

  5. I have been a listener for years, Larry is what California needs he is educated, smart and wise, let me know how I can help get this great man elected!

  6. I can’t help it, I have a spring in my step with Larry Elder’s entry. I feel as though I’ve known him FOREVER, ever since I first heard him, a new voice on the radio, and he did a riff on Johnny Cochran during the Simpson trial. It was very funny (he briefly did some stand-up comedy before the radio gig as I recall) and broke the tension. So now we have a chance to see how the front-runners campaign and we’ll see how it goes. It’s been awhile since that has happened!

    1. Showandtell, I want to see Larry Elder debate Newsom. But in the past Newsom avoided the debates except for the last one where he got mopped on the floor. He can’t avoid this one, and the voters would see what a phony Newsom is. If you can tune into Phil Cowan’s show Wednesday at 8:00 am on AM 1380 TheAnswer as he always has Katy Grimes on at that time. Don’t leave town! GO LARRY!

      1. Thanks for the tip, John. Making a note to tune in (listen online) to Phil Cowan and guest Katy Grimes on Wed morning.

        1. Phil Cowan is a great morning show in Sac

          Go Larry Elder…you got my whole family’s vote — I just hope Dominion machines are not set up for newsom, am sure newsom is looking at that angle now.

  7. Coming in with a contrary opinion here:

    No more minorities in charge of anything. They’re running this state into the ground.

    Mr. Elder may be a fine human being – or not; who knows what his private life is really like – but he is first and foremost an entertainer, having made his fortune and fame by virtue of his novelty value of being a “Black Conservative.”

    But that doesn’t mean that he can run anything. And like Mr. Elder, the last entertainer and “self-made” millionaire we had as Governor had an agreeable manner and made all sorts of promises. But despite a similarly high Q-Score, he didn’t deliver.

    I doubt Mr. Elder would prove any different. And doubtless, he would – perhaps unconsciously, perhaps not – staff the State offices with “Diverse” appointees chosen more for their ethnicities, orientations and connections rather than any sort of competence and flinty-hard/practical world-view. In other words, appointments and “advisors” compounding further the incompetence already on display in State Government.

    There’s an extensive laundry list of action items necessary for a state turnaround, ones we probably can all agree upon. It would probably include de-funding most state agencies and programs and taking away the “Bird Feeder.” Will he do that? Will he refuse to sign bills that tack on additional tax burdens and pork? And if he does, will he sic the National Guard on the inevitable rioters and looters? And so on and so forth?

    In short, will he make the very hard choices and suffer the wrath and legal harassments of the various minority groups and self-appointed elites that infest the MSM and both urban and State politics? And if he does, will he survive?

    Call me cynical, but I doubt it.

    I don’t claim to know which individual, which candidate can indeed save the State, if that is even at all possible, but based on observed past experience, a novelty minority entertainer probably isn’t the best choice.

    Just a thought.

    VicB3

    1. VicB3, respectfully, you need to get to know Larry Elder better than it seems you do at the moment. As someone who does know him better, I would say the points you have made do not apply to him. He is conservative and formidable. I’m not saying he could ride in like Superman and save the California mess instantly (because who could?) but he has the good foundational ideas that would get us started to right the state and he has a backbone; he’s tough. It doesn’t hurt that he is likeable, too. These points are first and foremost, and there are other practical considerations, too; e.g., ability to raise funds and support nationally. We will see how all of the viable candidates campaign and who will emerge as the choice for most. And have to add that the priorities are 1) RECALL GAVIN FIRST and 2) Elect your choice for new Gov.

      1. The CHALLENGE will be for Elder is dealing with an up/down democratic gov at the capital and the innerworkings within the whole gov system that is filled with hardcore lefties that will do anything to stifle republicans even if it hurts California.

        But with Newsom — He will turn very evil and spiteful knowing he is just past through recall and become that dictator he wants to be.

        so we have to replace Newsom, but the other candidates Falconer, Cox, Kiley, or fake jenner will never be able to handle a leftist core at the capital, I think elder has the potential to knock them because he is smart, true nature conservative and they cannot use their biggest card against him like they could with the others.

        I also think he will help innercity problem about understanding “Family” concept instead of fatherless children angle that no democrat seems to care about

        1. Agree with you Orwellianism. Elder has also LONG been seen as a threat to political factions who want to use and abuse voters who traditionally have always voted Democrat and who have been manipulated. Elder has taken THAT party’s abuse and name-calling and attempts to deep-six him and has stood tall and strong in the face of that abuse. Thus he is no stranger to attempts to kick him and knock him down and he has prevailed and become stronger and more resolute over time because of it.

        2. He ain’t gone do Ish and what about the fatherless children in the white community. KEEP Governor Newsom.

          The Democrats are NOT Sleep. We won’t have another republican ruin this STATE.

      2. Respectfully, what anybody sees with Mr. Elder is the carefully crafted public persona of a former stand-up comedian, including the “likeabiity.” To repeat, he is an entertainer. And a minority. And anybody need only look about the State, look at the cities to see the results of either group being put in charge of anything. (The exceptions, ex. Sonny Bono, are vanishingly small and prove the rule.)

        “Conservative” political fundamentals and likeability are all well and good. (The former usually just means that somebody wears a tie and wraps themselves in the Flag a lot.*) But I don’t want that. I want a cold-hearted and vicious bastard to clear the dead wood and rip out the invasive weeds by the roots. And who absolutely will not play nice and be conciliatory because he – and yes, a “He” – recognizes that he’s dealing with bullying, Marxist zealots and left-wing racists** who view any sort of concessions as weakness. I don’t want somebody to prune; I want somebody to bulldoze.

        And so do you.

        You claim that I “don’t know him.” And you’re right! Never been over to his house. Don’t hang out with him. Etc. Probably never will.

        And, unless I’m mistaken – and correct me if I’m wrong – neither do you or will you. You see the public self, the P.R. exercise that plays to your confirmation bias and makes you keep coming back for more. But I doubt you know what he’s like really, because, well, you’re not in the inner circle.

        “What a nice guy and he says what I like to hear!” Good for you. Really. You sound happy to be entertained.

        To repeat, he is an entertainer who’s shtick is to be the “Black Conservative.” It is carefully crafted by him and his staff so as to enhance ratings and thus advertising revenue.

        And that’s fine. He’s made a fortune doing so. Good on him.

        But it doesn’t make him the Bastard with the Bulldozer that the State desperately needs.

        Just a thought.

        VicB3

        *And I can share some interesting stories about what you can find once you get past the tie and Flag kabuki.

        **Including that jumped-up reparations Mammy from San Diego who needs to be told to put her doo-rag back on and get back to the cookhouse where she belongs.

        1. VIC. Noisesome is the whitest of white guys. How did that work out for you?

          Elder is the real deal. I would add that black conservatives are the most rock solid and brave people out there. Just look at the hell the left puts them through yet they never waver.

      3. Showandtell, could you tell VicB3 (and me) specifically what you know about Larry Elder OTHER than his media persona? Everything that you have said seems like a ‘personality projection’ from what Larry says on cable news, radio show, speaking gigs and his other media outlets. For example, things he has actually done other than these things that would make him a good leader for California. Media entertainment makes me think of Arnold and Jenner.

        1. Here’s the Larry Elder bio which may not be the best but lists the major points in his career (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Elder). I don’t see anything there that would relate to “leadership”; that is, leading some organization or group. All of it relates to the promotion of Larry Elder’s media career. In contrast, Ronald Reagan was also a political novice to start with, but he had experience LEADING the Screen Actors Guild. I guess we will just have to wait and see how Larry LEADS his gubernatorial campaign, now that he has announced. Will he be out in the 100 degree heat of Yolo county campaigning – for example?

    2. VicB3, although I do like Larry for his conservative point-of-view and especially his criticism of Obama, there are other aspects to consider. For example, his close ties to Steve Bannon in the past: https://www.warroomforum.com/threads/petition-to-get-larry-elder-on-the-war-room.13029/. He DOES have the media notoriety aspect to his credit; entertainment as you say. I think he will help as far as voter interest in the recall. The governing aspect, as you say, remains to be seen – like you, I keep thinking of Arnold and now Jenner. As a side note, you may have heard that Jenna Ellis, who supports Kevin Kiley, just quit the RNC over their lack of support for the Trump campaign during the election. (https://news.yahoo.com/trump-2020-legal-adviser-jenna-023500462.html)

    3. VicB3, judge him on the content of his character and the messages he conveys. I have been listening to him for years and he is a straight shooter. And it is not the minorities that are running this state into the ground, it is the DEMOCRATIC PARTY!

    4. VicB3, I don’t know what to think of your post. Has it ever dawned on you that a minority could feel the same way you do about our CA issues? Everything you stated could be applied to a non-minority person who appoint non-qualified, incompetent people too.

  8. Larry has my vote and I just donated to his campaign. I’m tired of squishy republican’s!!

  9. Larry is the best candidate. He is the only public figure who talks about all of the issues of California, the closing of schools and youth activities, the turmoil for parents and children as a result, the shutting down of family/main street businesses, the power outages and shutting down of natural gas power plants, the lack of support for a middle of the road solution to water storage, utilizing aquifiers, the defund the police mentality when most police departments practice community policing and engage with the community going back 20 years, the homeless issue and practical solutions that are fair and respectful, and worst of all, the One Party State dominance, particularly, utizing PG&E as a piggy bank, diverting funds for gas and power line maintenance resulting in wildfires and gas explosions in neigborhoods in San Bruno and Fresno, to pay 7% dividends to fund bankrupt public employee pensions.

    1. Well, Sharon, I guess we don’t know where or how Larry Elder will be campaigning this weekend. But, we DO know that Kevin Kiley will be in El Cajon on Saturday at the Ronald Reagan Community Center. How HOT will it be in San Diego temperature wise? Plenty hot I would think. Not like a nice air-conditioned media studio, that’s for sure.

  10. I like Larry Elder’s viewpoints.
    I also really admire Kevin Kiley’s tenacity and his insider perspective at the Capitol.
    I listened to Ric Grenell today on John Phillips Show @Kabc. He had another perspective and he thinks it is great to have true conservatives jump into the race, it brings interest and new followers. It hopefully brings more voters to the polls to vote on the important first part to RECALL NEWSOM.
    We can all agree we need a true authentic candidate willing to fight for all Californians and unravel the mess Gavin and his cohorts have done to this state.
    Go Kevin, Go!
    Go Larry Go!
    We have a race to win.

  11. FYI:www.electelder.com is blocked from my phone and laptop. I used the link in the article. Anyone else have this issue?

  12. He’ll have a lot of establishment opposition if elected, but we’ve got to start somewhere to clean up the mess that’s been made of California, and I can’t think of a better person to start the ball rolling.

  13. only if he will stop mandated vax, stop vax passports, and stop mask requirements for all citizens. More variant BS is coming this fall and I don’t want to be forced to participate. Can we please have a strong fighter for freedom of the people? Thanks

  14. This ticks me off. Kevin Kiley has worked his butt off for California and Californian’s will once again screw up and vote for a name Larry Elder has done ZERO for California and look at all that will vote for him….It’s sick it honestly is sick…You get what you deserve a name

    1. What Cali Girl said above is CORRECT. And just because people who comment here are excited to see Larry Elder enter the race it doesn’t mean everyone has made up their mind who they would ultimately vote for —– I know I haven’t. The campaign has only just begun. Let’s see how it plays out. Plus you don’t have anything if you don’t have Gavin RECALLED and many of us will be focusing most of our attention on the ground on THAT effort.

      1. Showandtell, now that the candidates are set (and no Ric Grenell as I thought) I agree that the focus should be on Question #1: ‘Should Gavin Newsom be Recalled? I am now pretty sure that Mr. Trump will not endorse one particular candidate; although he may come out and support the recall of Newsom. (1) His endorsement of one candidate would suppress the votes for others and thereby suppress the YES to RECALL vote and (2) it would give Newsom the ability to say that this recall is just a personal attack by Republicans and Trump supporters to get him out of office; NOT a grassroots multi-group effort.

    2. Liz, I understand how you feel and I support Kiley as well. Kevin himself has said this on Twitter and I support what he says 100 percent:
      Kevin Kiley @KevinKileyCA Jul 12
      Anyone working to recall Gavin Newsom and restore integrity to our government I consider a teammate. That includes other candidates on the ballot.

  15. This is how Larry Elder introduced himself: “My name is Larry Elder and I’m a business owner, talk show host, author, a contributor on Fox News and above all, I’m a proud Californian.”

    I like Larry Elder…but he’s obviously paid to TALK. Great. I want to know, what has he DONE for California?

    When I click on the link, I see a request for money, nothing more. No info about what he’s DONE.

    Can ANYONE provide me a link to what he’s DONE for Californians?

  16. Kevin Kiley, assemblyman from the Sac area, has been fighting for ALL Californians! He’s the one who took Newsom to court for his tyrannical never-ending state of emergency. He’s fighting against AB5 (think Ubber and Lyft) which ruined many entrepreneurs’ livelihoods in the past two years. He refused to take a salary increase this year and never takes the $40k annual per diem. He won’t accept donations from special interest groups. I could go on… We need someone with a proven track record, not just someone who’s all talk. Kiley has been fighting for you and me! Vote Kiley for governor!

  17. Pretty well-written article, saying what I, personally, like. But, there is that old saying, “The CAGOP, The Party That Loves to Lose”, a saying which you, Katy, are sub-textually supporting by certain of your reflexive attacks upon Anyone who Dares a different opinion from those of CAGOP insider stakeholders. Thus, Automatically Helping my former Party, (CA democrats)! So, the CAGOP insider elitist, are all too happy to plunge the knife into our backs, (those who want to Recall Newsom, and, to Save The Republic, in CA, and, nationally)! BTW, I’m back on The Phil Cowan Show, with Salem Corporate’s strong support~!

  18. Thank you for sane people like Larry Elder who have smarts and common sense! First thing Larry needs to do is get rid of the CALIFORNIA GAS TAX. We know what Gruesome Newsom is doing with that money. I have been watching Larry for years and love him. Larry has great ideas for California.

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