Republican Eric Early wanted to be first out the gate to announce his run for United States Senate. California U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein announced in February that she would not seek re-election, so her seat is now up for grabs. Early appeared on local Los Angeles KABC Radio’s John Phillips Show to make this announcement. So far, he is the first and only Republican candidate to declare.

Our nation is at a crossroads. California deserves a US Senator who will stand up to the far-left career politicians setting our nation down a dangerous path.

I am running for US Senate to fight for common sense solutions. Join our campaign at https://t.co/feuo6T1up1. pic.twitter.com/oJQOUH3u0B

— 𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖 𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗬 (@EricEarly_CA) April 11, 2023

In a RedState exclusive with CA GOP Vice Chair Corrin Rankin, I wrote:

CA GOP heads into the 2024 elections with the recently retired Dianne Feinstein Senate seat in their sights.

The California GOP has not endorsed any Republican candidate for Senate, so this fresh announcement by Early is a coup in terms of media recognition. Early is an attorney and former candidate for both the U.S. Congress and California Attorney General. He has pitted himself against highly recognizable Democrat congressional incumbents with lots of national stage presence. But Early told Phillips that he believes he can distinguish himself in California’s jungle primary and pull out a win for the general election in November 2024.

“I believe firmly that we can be successful in this race. I’m declaring it right here, right now on your show,” Early told Phillips.

“I’m running for all the forgotten Californians, all the forgotten Americans.

“We have been left behind. I live in Los Angeles, I speak to Democrats all the time, know lots of Democrats, and even they say things have gone to far.”

Early rattled off the ugly statistics on California: rampant crime, fentanyl overdoses, transgender indoctrination of children in the public schools, as well as parents being shut out of having a say in their children’s education. As an attorney, Early also pointed out the two-tiered system of justice.

“This goes on and on. All Americans, or most Americans, as I call them and myself, ‘forgotten Americans,’ feel they have been shut out of the dialogue.

“So, I am standing up. I have been talking about these issues for years. This goes across political lines, racial lines, socio-economic lines, I am fighting for them, for us, and for our country.”

With a hint of skepticism, Phillips asked Early how he plans as a Republican to reach those people who will vote Default Democrat no matter how bad things become in the state.

“I am speaking to and for everybody. As far as traveling up and down the state, for the AG campaign, I was the only one traveling up and down the state,” Early said.

“Most of the media wants to keep voices like mine silent from the people.”

This is Early’s third run as a California candidate and his second run for national office. Early first challenged Rep. Adam Schiff in 2020 for his congressional seat and lost.

The last time Eric Early found himself in a race against Adam Schiff, he managed to raise $4 million from donors with questionable judgment and was ultimately rewarded with 27.3% of the vote.https://t.co/VkVUxfjmg6 pic.twitter.com/kC7lxqrg73

— Rob Pyers (@rpyers) April 11, 2023

In 2022, Early ran for California Attorney General, seeking to unseat Newsom’s Democrat appointee Rob Bonta and to defeat Republican candidate Nathan Hochmann.

Early came in third in this race.

Republican Eric Early, who placed 3rd in California's 2022 Top Two primary for Attorney General despite allies of incumbent Democrat Rob Bonta spending over $1 million to try to help him along into the general election, files to run for California's US Senate seat. https://t.co/JpFxoc8g9K

— Rob Pyers (@rpyers) April 11, 2023

Early faces stiff competition from three Democrats in the U.S. Congress. West Hollywood Rep. Adam Schiff, Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, and Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee have all declared Senate runs. Bay Area Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna had originally declared he would run but chose to bow out. Early lost to Schiff once, and all of the Democrat candidates have statewide name recognition, are familiar nationally to many Americans, and are seasoned campaigners and fundraisers.

So far Schiff is pulling in the funds, raking in $6.5 million in campaign donations. Schiff has more cash raised than Porter and Lee combined.

Schiff’s campaign touted a $6.5 million haul on Thursday, bringing his war chest up to $24.5 million in financial firepower on hand. Meanwhile, Rep. Katie Porter’s (D-CA) campaign announced a $4.5 million windfall, and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) touted a $1.4 million campaign intake.

Early also established that he is against the transgender indoctrination that is occurring in the public school systems in California and nationally in blue states. Early expressed his support for female athlete Riley Gaines, who was attacked by transgender activists at San Francisco State University over her stance against having transgender biological males competing in female sports.

I stand with Riley Gaines. She is heroic and brave. That is what it is going to take from millions of Americans to right the course of our nation.

Transgender people should certainly be able to compete on Trans sports teams.

https://t.co/O2yKkGG8Lr

— 𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖 𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗬 (@EricEarly_CA) April 7, 2023

Early told Phillips,

“We have to be able to have common sense again, and at the end of the day, I’m the common sense candidate.”

You can catch the full spot on KABC Radio, linked here.