Randy Quaid, the 70-year-old actor best known for his character Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise, wants to run for Governor of California. He announced his intent to run Tuesday on Twitter with an informal statement bashing the state’s district attorneys.
“I’m seriously considering running for governor,” tweeted Quaid on Tuesday. “The prosecutorial corruption in California (esp Santa Barbara & the Bell scandal) is rampant; and I promise that if elected I will clean up the District Attorney Offices throughout the state. #RandyQuaid4CAGOV”
Quaid is a longtime Republican and has been a vocal supporter of Donald Trump before, during, and after his presidency, going so far as to post countless MAGA videos claiming election fraud. (Unsurprisingly, Trump then retweeted said videos.) If he moves forward as a potential candidate, Quaid will likely seek the Republican nomination and go head to head with Gavin Newsom, the current Governor of California and Democrat who’s facing a recall election.
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However, the Independence Day actor will have to go through a number of hoops in order to qualify for local government candidacy. Quaid is technically still considered a fugitive in the state of California (!) due to unresolved legal issues from over a decade ago. He and his wife, Evi, are wanted in Santa Barbara, California after authorities found the couple illegally squatting in 2010 inside the guesthouse of a home they previously owned. They were charged with felony residential burglary and entering a noncommercial building without consent, missed the numerous court appearances that were scheduled to resolve it, and fled to Canada.
After five years, Quaid and his wife finally left Canada when he was threatened with deportation after failing a bid for permanent residency in the country. In 2015, they were arrested in Vermont after being identified as fugitives by US Customs officials. Authorities in California attempted to extradite him then, but a Vermont judge denied the request. It’s unclear what the current status of the case is.
If Quaid is able to resolve this decade-long run-in with the law, then he will have to face the next hurdle in his candidacy: going head-to-head with Olympic gold medalist and Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Caitlyn Jenner, who is also running for Governor of California. It’s a long shot, but technically it’s possible for a celebrity to win a prized position in Californian government with no prior expertise; just look at Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I’m seriously considering running for governor. The prosecutorial corruption in California (esp Santa Barbara & the Bell scandal) is rampant; and I promise that if elected I will clean up the District Attorney Offices throughout the state. #RandyQuaid4CAGOV
— Randy Quaid (@RandyRRQuaid) April 27, 2021
