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Tim Myers, a founding member of OneRepublic, has announced his bid for California Lieutenant Governor as a Democrat.
Myers, who played bass with OneRepublic from 2002 to 2007, announced his new venture into politics on Wednesday, July 9. In a statement shared on his official website, Myers’ campaign describes him as a third-generation Californian.
The state’s current lieutenant governor, Eleni Kounalakis, is running to succeed incumbent governor Gavin Newsom, who cannot run for re-election due to term limits. Kounalakis, 59, is the first woman and first Greek-American elected to the office in California history.
Myers, 40, and his wife, Lauren, are parents to two daughters, whom the musician mentions as part of his motivation for running for office.
In a campaign video set to a cover of The Mamas & The Papas’ 1965 hit “California Dreamin,'” Myers critiques the Trump administration’s handling of federal resources in response to the Palisades and Eaton wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles County in January.
“You know what the real disgrace is? A president who insults 40 million Americans and is doing everything he can to harm a state with the fourth-largest economy in the world. Meanwhile, our own state leaders have done almost nothing to fight back,” Myers said in the campaign video shared on his official website.
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Myers continued, “That’s why I’m running for Lieutenant Governor to help protect and rebuild the California we love, to fight for working families, for kids priced out of college, for seniors struggling to get by, for every Californian who feels forgotten.”
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“The status quo from career politicians just isn’t cutting it,” Myers said on his motivations for running for office. “They’ve either sold out, stayed silent, or cash checks from corporate lobbyists. Well, I’m not staying silent. I’m not a career politician. I’m a dad, a husband, a builder, and I’m stepping up because you don’t choose the time, the time chooses you.”
The former OneRepublic bassist then elaborated on his career before the music industry, during which he worked as a barista and a janitor. He went on to establish Palladium Records.
Myers previously announced plans to run against Republican Rep. Ken Calvert for California’s 41st congressional district in April, the Associated Press reports. The site Myers launched for his congressional campaign now redirects to his lieutenant governor campaign site.
