California businessman and philanthropist Kyle Kirkland recently spoke to FOX News Digital about his decision to join the field of nearly a dozen candidates vying for the House seat vacated by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. He cited the border crisis and the restrictive economic regulations that unfortunately contribute to it. Talent from the Golden State.
Kirkland, who describes himself as the “media underdog” among those running in the nonpartisan primary for California's 20th Congressional District on March 15, is the owner of Club One Casino and has about 56 He is also the president of the California Gaming Association, an industry group that impacts an industry worth billions of dollars. There are 30,000 workers in the state. Although he is relatively unknown nationally, he has a strong base of supporters in Fresno County and the Central Valley who are personally aware of his decades-long reputation as a “very capable businessman.” said that it exists locally.
“I'm not a career politician,” Kirkland told Fox News Digital. He said voters want solutions to their problems. High cost of living, crime, border crisis, inflation, government regulations In the midst of Washington's “hype.”
In a district that was largely won by former President Trump in 2020 and which McCarthy represented from 2007 until he resigned in 2023, Kirkland represents what is considered to be a deep red region of broadly blue California. He explained what running as a Republican means to him. . Despite being the most populous state, California lost the second-highest number of residents in the nation last year, ranking second only to New York in population loss. And Kirkland blames the immigration crisis and California's business climate.
“I often joke to people that I live in a red state in the middle of a blue state, right? I've lived in California for 30 years,” Kirkland told FOX News Digital. “I'm very proud of my Eastern roots and I've brought those values to California. I think California has some real challenges…you know, In terms of the message that California is giving to business and the message that California is giving to business.”
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Kyle Kirkland is the front-runner in the special election for California's 20th District, a seat vacated by former Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted as speaker of the House and resigned in December. (Congressman Kirkland)
“Talent is leaving the state, and I think it's important that California recognizes that we need to keep talented people, certainly a lot of talented people, in the state.” said. “It's a routine for me to talk to my friends. And they say, oh, I moved to Texas. I moved to Georgia. Oh, I moved to Florida. I'm now in South Carolina. That's right. And California needs to recognize that it needs to be California for all Californians, and open its borders and allow everyone to enter the country unchecked. But also hope for the best.”
“I think the most important thing for the state of California to understand is, listen, people and businesses in the state want to know that California is going to be a friendly environment for them to regulate. Where we can — but there's a difference between regulation and suffocation,''' Kirkland further explained. “And I think that's certainly what a lot of people in the business world feel. You know, every year there are 900 new bills issued, and they're probably made with good intentions, but they're probably not well-read. They're not thought through, and they're being left to the business community to solve with plaintiff's lawyers looking over their shoulders. And that's a very difficult environment in which to operate our business. So I'm bullish on California, but smart people are wondering, are there better opportunities elsewhere?”
Kyle Kirkland, owner of Club One Casino and president of the California Gaming Association, is a leading candidate running for California's 20th Congressional District. (Congressman Kirkland)
Kirkland thanked Trump for showing non-career politicians there was a way to get involved, and said he had “deep respect for Kevin McCarthy” but compared him to other major opponents. He defended his “unique background” and said he wanted to focus on his current campaign. .
He has worked with some very large and high-profile companies and talked about how he started his career at Bain & Company around the same time that Mitt Romney was at the consulting firm. Kirkland said he worked in management consulting for a global manufacturer analyzing oil fields in the 1980s during a difficult time for the energy industry. He then took on healthcare clients and moved into the financial industry, working for a Beverly Hills firm that was highly visible on Wall Street. He then turned to entrepreneurship, founding a “small fledgling music company” with partners he built through acquisitions such as the global piano company Steinway & Sons.
He said he grew the venture into a company with 2,500 employees on six continents and was the longest-serving chairman not named Steinway. At the time of the sale, he said the company was at an all-time high in product quality and profitability.
Kirkland shares first-hand what it's like to deal with California Governor Gavin Newsom and his administration, as he helped transform the gaming industry from a struggling sector in California to one that is now bigger than Nevada. Say you know.
California Gov. Newsom to hold special election to replace former House Speaker McCarthy in March
On the border, Kirkland said he plans to exercise his “ability to think through complex issues” and take a “very pragmatic” approach while avoiding the “quarrels” seen in Washington.
Kyle Kirkland is running in the March 15 primary for McCarthy's vacant seat. (Congressman Kirkland)
“I mean, this is a mess, right? You know, it's a direct result of the Biden administration's policy of putting down the no-vacancy signs and basically saying, 'Free buffet, here you go.' That's exactly what happened.''As any businessman would expect, the number of people trying to come to the United States has increased from 400,000 to 2.2 million a year, overwhelming the border,'' Kirkland said. he said. “I believe in legal immigration. I think it's important to the United States and certainly to the agricultural industry and the economy. A lot of people come here legally, legally. And, again, to pursue the American dream.'' We're immigrant-based at our core, right? ”
“But it's clear that voters want us to legalize. We want it to be fair. It's fundamentally unfair to give them access to a cell phone.''At any given time, most people are making a living or struggling to make a living,'' he continued.
“And we have problems with our existing infrastructure, we have a housing shortage, we have an overburdened health care system, and California has a budget deficit of $30 billion to $60 billion, depending on who you ask. I think that's unfair, and people definitely say, “Hey, listen, we want to be human, but we feel like we have to be realistic.”
He cited the “hypocrisy” of coronavirus-era lockdowns, noting that the California Gaming Association pays about $500 million a year in local taxes to help largely underserved communities. highlighted how it has affected business in the state. He also slammed Newsom for ignoring limits on indoor dinner parties while telling Californians not to gather every day.
California businessman and philanthropist Kyle Kirkland founded the Kirkland Foundation, an animal rescue organization aimed at reducing overpopulation. (Congressman Kirkland)
“Throughout [the pandemic] We were constantly negotiating with Governor Newsom's administration about our ability to be open about what parameters we could adopt. I was also, frankly, repulsed by what I thought was an unfairness there. When governments say they are allowing certain industries to open and not others, it seems very arbitrary to many of us who are, you know, shut down and struggling. It seemed to me. “But more than anything, it was some unfairness. I'm all about fairness. Hypocrisy. Hey, listen, if you're telling me to wear a mask and not go out and participate. , don't shop at the French Laundry with friends or enjoy a $1,500 dinner without a mask.
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Kirkland contrasted himself with another primary candidate, former McCarthyite member and California congressman Vince Fung. Kirkland didn't build his political career on gaining greater support, he explained. In addition to Fong, who McCarthy endorsed as his predecessor, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreau and teacher and small business owner David Giglio have garnered the most attention so far in the primary. After March 15, two final candidates, regardless of political party, will advance to a special election on May 21.
Kirkland, who is also a board member of the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and founder of the Kirkland Foundation, an animal rescue organization aimed at reducing overpopulation, is a graduate of Harvard and Stanford universities and is the next in line to enter politics. He said the phase was a “natural extension”. “He’s trying to make a difference.
