Businessman John Cox is making another run for California governor, describing the selection between Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., and himself as choosing between "the Beauty" and "the Beast."
Cox, who lost to Newsom in the 2018 general election, will launch his campaign with a bus tour in Sacramento on Tuesday.
Newsom appears prepared to face a recall election later this year, as California has verified more than enough petition signatures needed.
By placing a $5 million buy in the campaign, Cox is signaling the recall is real.
"We chose pretty over accomplished. We chose beauty over brains. We chose to continue political dynasties instead of saying, 'Stop, this ain’t working. We need to choose someone who can fix this place,'" a voiceover says during a Cox campaign video on YouTube.
In his Tuesday speech, Cox points to California's struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic under Newsom.
"What is happening to our state is anything but beautiful: businesses are closed, kids sit in front of their computers at home," Cox said. "The homeless population grows and grows. Poverty is rampant; we’re likely to have another summer of blackouts, fires, and water shortages as our taxes and cost of living goes higher and higher.
"Guess you could say our beautiful, pretty governor has made things pretty ugly in our great state."
After describing Newsom as the "pretty boy" nephew of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Cox’s video said the School of Hard Knocks taught the 65-year-old businessman "the toughness and the skill" required to lead.
"I’m a business guy running to make change – great big ones,” said Cox, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump during his previous run for the office.
Cox also mentioned Newsom's apparent hypocrisy in eating at Napa Valley restaurant The French Laundry with people from other households while insisting Californians adhere to strict restrictions during the pandemic.
"Our beautiful governor chose The French Laundry over us," said Cox, whose bus tour will stop at the restaurant, according to Fox 40. "He chose $12,000 bottles of wine and expensive birthday dinners over school kids. He chose to be a hypocrite with his lobbyist buddies over regular small businesses who don’t have connections to the rich and powerful.
"California needs to be a beautiful place again, not just for the pretty and connected, but for regular people.
"You want beauty? Or a ball-busting beast? One who will never invite you to his $12,000 lobbyist paid wine dinners at The French Laundry."
He added: "Or the one I hope you want to have over for a beer."
Cox’s campaign announced its Meet the Beast Bus Tour will include a "special guest" — a 1,000-pound bear.
The animal will match Cox's new logo, which features a roaring bear coming out of his last name, like the MGM lion. The businessman and self-proclaimed "political outsider" also changed his social media handles to @BeastJohnCox.
According to his campaign website, Cox was "born with nothing and raised by a single mother." He worked his way through college, then earned a CPA and law degree.
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