OneRepublic star runs for the second most powerful position in California
- - - OneRepublic star runs for the second most powerful position in California
Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY July 11, 2025 at 12:26 AM
The celebrity-to-politician pipeline is alive and well in California.
OneRepublic founding member Tim Myers announced a run for Lieutenant Governor of the Golden State July 7, throwing his hat in the ring for a position generally viewed as a stepping stone to the governorship.
Myers, 40, a native of Orange, California, will run as a Democrat in the usually blue state and uphold a local tradition of A-listers trying their hand at politics. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the 38th governor of the state, got his start in acting, and Ronald Reagan, a California governor before becoming president, also dabbled in showbiz.
Tim Myers attends the 50th Annual GMA Dove Awards at Lipscomb University on Oct. 15, 2019, in Nashville.
Myers may be hoping to notch his own story into that lineage, proudly claiming on his campaign website that he is "not a politician."
"He's a dad, a husband, a businessman, an activist, and the son of a pastor who taught him that faith without action is meaningless," a statement on the website reads.
"After a successful run as an early member of the band OneRepublic, Tim launched his own record company to level the playing field for hardworking artists and break a system that has long been rigged for the big corporations," the statement continues. Myers played with OneRepublic as both a bassist and vocalist between 2002 and 2007, later founding Palladium Records. His solo music career has also been marked by a particular kind of commercial success – many of his singles have been used in ad spots for major brands.
Myers says his campaign is motivated by the desire to "fix a broken political system dominated by career politicians and special interests and rigged against the working class," according to the campaign website, adding that he plans to "fight back against the Trump administration's attacks" and bring a "fresh, strong voice" to the office.
In a post to Instagram announcing his candidacy, Myers wrote: "California is under attack − and our leaders are silent. So I'm stepping up."
The run for Lt. Governor comes after a short-lived bid for the U.S. House of Representatives seat in April of this year. On Instagram, Myers claimed that after hearing from "neighbors and friends" about the issues facing California, he felt compelled to set his sights higher.
Whether they are too high remains to be seen – the state's current governor, Gavin Newsom, is term-limited and cannot run again, and his Lt. Governor, Eleni Kounalakis, is gunning for his seat. Several California legislators have already announced campaigns for her spot, including Josh Fryday, head of Newsom's Office of Service and Community Engagement and state Treasurer Fiona Ma.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tim Myers of OneRepublic is running for Lt. Governor of California
Source: AOL Entertainment
