Caitlyn Jenner is the latest celebrity to consider the idea of running for political office. Following singer Kid Rock’s announcement that he intends to run for Senate, Jenner, the transgender activist and former reality show star, appeared on New York’s AM 970 to state that she, too, was considering a Senate run.
"I like the political side of it," Jenner said in her interview with radio host John Catsimatidis. "I work very closely with a group called the American Unity Fund, and their mission statement is to get the Republican Party to do a better job when it comes to all LGBT issues. That’s my issue.”
Jenner went on to say, "Over the next six months or so, I've got to find out where I can do a better job. Can I do a better job from the outside and kind of work in the perimeter of the political scene? Or are we better off from the inside? And we are in the process of determining that. But I am looking for a senatorial run."
According to TheLos Angeles Times, Jenner intends to make a decision about her bid for Senate within the next six months.
Jenner is no stranger to politics. As a lifelong Republican and supporter of President Donald Trump, she has maintained her conservative stance, stating in an April interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson: “I believe in limited government. I believe in our Constitution.”
Jenner faces a challenging road ahead. If she decides to run for Senate in 2018, when Senate Democrat Dianne Feinstein is up for reelection, Jenner must contend with running as a conservative candidate in liberal California, which voted overwhelmingly against President Trump in the 2016 election, according to the LA Times.
California has emerged as a vocal opponent of the Trump administration’s agenda, and Democratic Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, as well California’s Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, have opposed Trump on matters related to climate change, the Muslim Ban, immigration and other progressive issues.
Jenner also faces overwhelming criticism from right-wing groups that are anti-LGBT. Earlier this week, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) and Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) came under fire for stating that transgender people should not serve in the military, as reported by The Hill. Rep. King later went on a tirade comparing gender reassignment surgeries and hormone therapies to the castration of enslaved soldiers in the Ottoman Empire, angering transgender activists and members of the LGBT community.
Jenner is aware of the long uphill battle she faces if she decides to run, stating in her radio interview, “I hope to change the perception of the Republican Party and make it the party of equality.” She might not be the only reality star in her family to consider politics—rumors are floating that Kanye West may consider running for President in 2020. Who knows—we just might live to see the day of a Jenner-West ticket for the White House.
