Caitlyn Jenner Releases Incredulous Statement After Crushing Defeat

Caitlyn Jenner, having failed in her attempt to become California's governor, is lamenting that voters did not recall Gov. Gavin Newsom from office.

In Tuesday's election, about two-thirds of those who cast ballots voted against recalling Newsom, a Democrat and an ally of LGBTQ+ people. A second, optional question on the ballot asked voters who should replace Newsom if he is removed. There were 46 candidates, 24 of them Republicans, including Jenner. She received just about 1 percent of the vote.

Newsom "didn't campaign on not one of his successes, because he doesn't have any," Jenner said Tuesday night in an interview shared by Bay Area station KPIX. "I can't believe that this many people actually voted to keep him in office. It's a shame, honestly, it's a shame. You kind of get the government you deserve."

Newsom, however, remains quite popular in California. There is much support for his strict measures to control the ongoing pandemic, and the state's economy that has largely ridden it out. Voters also like his liberal stances on LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive freedom, and other social issues.

Jenner failed to catch on with conservatives (she received transphobic abuse at the Conservative Political Action Conference), and she alienated many of her fellow transgender people with her statement that trans girls shouldn't participate in girls' sports. She alienated others by bemoaning the fact that owners of private planes are leaving California because they don't like seeing homeless people on the streets. She also left the state during the campaign to appear on Celebrity Big Brother in Australia.

The front-runner among replacement candidates was Larry Elder, a far-right, anti-LGBTQ+ talk show host. He has conceded to Newsom but hinted that he may run again. Newsom, first elected governor in 2018, is up for reelection in 2022.