Press Contact: Spencer@KluweOC.com

Huntington Beach, CA— Chris Kluwe, long-time Orange County resident, former Minnesota Vikings player, author, father, and longtime advocate for civil rights, officially launched his campaign today to become the next Assemblymember for California’s 72nd Assembly District, encompassing the communities of Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Laguna Hills, and Aliso Viejo.

With incumbent Assemblywoman Diane Dixon’s announcement that she will not run for re-election, voters will have the opportunity in November 2026 to chart a new path forward for the district.

“I'm tired of watching politicians fumble on problem after problem,” Kluwe, a Democrat, said. “I’m ready to kickstart change in Sacramento to start tackling the issues that residents care about. We deserve a government that has a team mentality and actually works for ALL of us. In Sacramento, I’ll defend public schools, expand affordable housing, protect reproductive rights, champion climate action, and start pushing conversations on A.I. regulation that Sacramento has ignored.”

“From children to seniors, many in our communities are struggling under the chaos perpetuated by MAGA extremists at the local and national levels,” Kluwe continued. “Orange County residents want, and deserve, leaders in public office who have the courage to do the right thing for their constituents, not just when it is politically convenient, and I have proven multiple times I am willing to fight when a fight is required, regardless of the cost to myself. That is my commitment to the people of Assembly District 72.”

The son of a local energy and refinery project manager, Kluwe grew up in a middle-class family in Seal Beach. He attended public school from kindergarten through college in Southern California, developing a fearless sense of leadership both in the classroom and on the football field. As he continued his football career at UCLA, where he graduated with a double major in History and Political Science, and later as a professional NFL punter for the Minnesota Vikings from 2005 to 2012, Kluwe would use those leadership skills to forcefully advocate for strong collective bargaining rights, equitable pay, free expression, and LGBTQ+ rights.

Since retiring from the NFL, Chris has raised a family in Huntington Beach, coached local high school football, authored multiple books, and has even published a board game. However, his passion for ethics and public transparency has never subsided, as evidenced by his recent opposition to the Huntington Beach City Council’s reckless spending and extremist book-banning.

As a father and community leader, Kluwe shares Orange County residents’ concerns about the rising cost-of-living and growing barriers to affordable homeownership in Orange County.

“The Orange County that I grew up in, where working- and middle-class families could afford to live, is rapidly turning into a distant memory,” Kluwe said. “Every resident should have the same opportunities to succeed that I had as a child. We must find innovative solutions to bring down essential costs, such as housing, transportation, groceries, utilities, healthcare, and childcare.”

Kluwe’s campaign will center on solutions critical to protecting and growing the California Dream for every resident, including:

• Affordable Housing: Accelerating the construction of new homes through smart zoning reform and public investment, as well as a commitment to streamlining the home-building process through consolidation of multiple agencies and regulations into a cohesive whole.

• Education: Fully funding public schools and ensuring equitable access to quality education for all students.

• Climate Action: Expanding the utilization of clean energy and building resilient communities to bring down household costs and reduce California’s carbon footprint, as well as protecting the beaches and nature reserves Orange County residents love so much.

• LGBTQ+ and Civil Rights: Defending the rights of all Californians against unnecessary government overreach and fighting back against the rising extremism threatening to destroy our common democracy and the ideals on which this country was founded.

• A.I. Regulation: Promoting the safe, ethical deployment of artificial intelligence in our schools and workplaces, and protecting residents' private information and data from corporate and government misuse.
  

“Our campaign is not ‘politics as usual,’” Kluwe added. “Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or somewhere in-between, is irrelevant to me. We all want innovative change that creates better, safer, and stronger communities. I look forward to talking to voters across the political spectrum, finding common ground, and bringing vital change to Orange County.”

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