|
"America is in decline, but this decline is not inevitable. We
can enter a new American Golden Age, but we must choose a leader
who can bring us there," Elder said in a Twitter post late on
Thursday.
Elder emerged as the most serious challenger in California's
2021 recall election with a message that Democratic Governor
Gavin Newsom had botched his response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Newsom handily beat back a Republican campaign to oust him from
office in the deeply Democratic state.
Elder defines himself as "an American who is Black" rather than
African American, telling The Hill in a 2019 interview: "The
idea that there's systemic racism against Black people is a
lie."
He has said his views grew out of his parents' contention that
he could overcome racism with hard work and determination.
Elder calls himself the "Sage from South Central," referring to
a largely African American district of Los Angeles. He left Los
Angeles after high school, attended Brown University in Rhode
Island and earned a law degree at the University of Michigan.
After practicing law in Cleveland, he returned to Los Angeles in
the 1990s and began his career as a radio host, later becoming
syndicated nationwide.
He joins a handful of Republicans who have announced their
candidacies as they seek to win the White House back from
Democrat Joe Biden, who is expected to make a formal
announcement on his re-election bid next week.
They include former President Donald Trump, Former South
Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, investor Vivek Ramaswamy and
former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. Tim Scott of South
Carolina, the only Black Republican serving in the U.S. Senate,
has formed an exploratory committee.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Nick Macfie)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
