(KTXL) — Republican attorney and businessman Eric Early says California voters looking to put the state on a new path should send him to the U.S. Senate.
According to a poll conducted by Inside California Politics and Emerson College Polling, Early is one of the leading Republicans in California’s 2024 Senate race.
Though he trailed the three leading Democrats in the race, the poll found that 2.8% of respondents favored Early. Another 4.3% said they would vote for Republican veteran and entrepreneur James P. Bradley.
Early previously faced-off current Senate race frontrunner Rep. Adam Schiff in 2020 in a battle for Schiff’s congressional seat.
“I’m a conservative republican. When I started running for these races in California I always knew it was going to be a long hall…,” Early said. “We’ve been building up support every single one of these races.”
Early said that even though he’s a Republican in a Democratic-voter heavy state, there are a lot of people that share his beliefs.
“There are millions of people that have conservative common sense positions in this state, millions of them. Early said. “These are the great people that I run for.”
Early also ran in the statewide primary race for Attorney General in 2022 but fell less than 2% short of reaching the general election.
Noting that none the Democratic leads have previously run in a statewide election, Early said his previously unsuccessful political efforts have benefitted him.
“I’ve got supporters around the state,” Early said. “I was the lead lawyer on the Gavin Newsom recall team. They had over 20,000 volunteers up and down this state… We have an army of volunteers we’re signing up all over this state.”
Early, who says he first moved to the Los Angeles area to work as a post production supervisor on classic 80s cartoons like G.I. Joe, Transformers and My Little Pony, said that as a Republican surrounded by Democrats in his daily life, he thinks his stance on the issues can even win some of them over.
“I’m the only one thats tough on crime in this race. I’m the only one fighting for parents and children in this race,” Early said.
“Everyone of my opponents voted down the parent’s bill of rights in congress” Early said. “It provides to let the parents see the curriculum that their kids are being taught in their schools and to see the kids book list. Now who on Earth would vote against that?”
On the topic of LGBTQ rights, Early said he didn’t have an issue with transgendered people living their lives but took issue with the call for inclusion into cisgendered sports settings.
“I don’t want our daughters in sports with people born as males,” Early said. “I have nothing against transgendered people. I believe in live and let live. Let them have their own sports league.”
Early also called an end to the war in Ukraine.
“Look at whats going on in Ukraine right now… We’re teetering on the edge of World War III right now,” Early said. “One mistake, it could explode into World War III… I believe that war can be settled.”
Early suggested that the nation’s foreign diplomacy concerns should be more centered around China.
I want to look into communist China for example. I believe firmly that communist China has to be declared an enemy of our nation for various reasons,” Early said. “They have infiltrated our nation in so many ways… I would like to investigate how communist China or it’s affiliates have been buying up property in key, strategic places.
Early was adamant to note that he was not casting suspicions on Chinese-Americans.
“I need to be clear about this, I’ve got lots of Chinese-American friends,” Early said. “This is not about the great Chinese-Americans who escape communist China to get here”
Early says he’s the only choice for Californians looking to change the state.
“If people want to vote for change finally, for something different, for somebody who actually cares about people… then heres only one choice,” Early said. “You’re looking at him. Its me.”
