Conservative radio host Larry Elder, who recently announced his campaign to join the roster of candidates challenging Democratic governor Gavin Newsom in the California gubernatorial recall election, will again be on the ballot per the Wednesday order of a Sacramento county judge.
The judge’s ruling reverses the action of state election officials this week, who blocked Elder from running in the race, citing incomplete federal tax filings required to become a candidate. His campaign office received notice Sunday that he was disqualified from the being on the ballot. Elder said he suspects California Democrats in cahoots with Newsom have been engaging in political “shenanigans” to keep him out of the election, which is scheduled for September 14th, according to the Associated Press.
Elder insists that he entered all the proper documentation and that the secretary of state’s office failed to offer a clear explanation for his removal. He sued the secretary of state Monday to compel her to place him on the ballot, according to a tweet he posted.
The radio host told Fox News that the intention behind the California law requiring disclosure of his tax paperwork was to force then President Donald Trump to forfeit his tax returns before he attempted to run for reelection in 2020.
“The idea was to force Donald Trump to hand over his tax returns if he wanted to qualify for the 2020 presidential ballot,” Elder told Fox News. “This was before, of course, his tax returns were stolen and publicly disclosed. So, it was all designed to get Trump.”
Elder joins a long list of Republican contenders, including former Olympian and reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner, looking to unseat Newsom in the fall. The recall initiative gained traction over the past year as many California residents grew disillusioned with what they saw as Newsom’s mismanagement of the pandemic, which included prolonged lockdowns and school closures.