Meet Kevin Paffrath: California Recall Candidate Profile

By Sameea Kamal, CalMatters

Age: 29
Party: Democrat
Home: Ventura

Real estate broker who bought his first home at the age of 19. Hosts a YouTube channel about personal finance, stocks, taxes and real estate with 1.6 million subscribers. A self-declared centrist.

Likes:

John F. Kennedy, blockchain, crashing Newsom campaign events

Dislikes:

“Identity politics,” censorship, leaving question 2 on the ballot blank

If he becomes governor:

• Would seek to address homelessness within 60 days with “optional, emergency housing,” built by the National Guard, that provides three meals a day, showers, health care and substance abuse treatment
• Would declare a state of emergency on housing and streamline permitting to build two million homes in four years, and would redevelop commercial spaces for homes
• Would seek to build “net negative” housing communities, built around solar and wind farms that export energy to the rest of California
• Would eliminate state income tax on the first $250,000 earned
• Would legalize online and in-person gambling and seek to build Las Vegas-style casinos in partnership with casino builders, tribal communities and union workers
• Would invest in wildfire prevention with technologically advanced detection and response
• Would try to reduce crime by fully funding police departments, but shifting to better training and community integration instead of over-policing poor and minority communities
• Would offer nonviolent offenders the option to do community service, such as cleaning streets and removing graffiti, instead of prison time
• Would not impose any further COVID lockdowns, but would not ban counties or cities from imposing restrictions
• Would establish ‘‘Future Schools” — two-year programs open to anyone age 16 and older that combine college, trade school, high school and financial education, and work with industry and nonprofits to create a hiring pipeline
• Would seek the federal government’s help on the state’s water shortage by building a 14-foot-diameter pipeline from the Mississippi River to California
• Would refocus high-speed rail money to reduce traffic congestion and pollution by building new roads, including variable-direction toll roads
• Would start a daily vlog on his work as governor to boost transparency

Personal quote:

“California is beautiful. We’ve just lost our edge.”

Hear him on the issues:

Paffrath discusses his big ideas for California and why he dislikes Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Supporters:

• Ross Gerber, investor, president and CEO of Gerber Kawasaki
• George Gammon, investor, host of YouTube show on real estate and building wealth
• Charles Hoskinson, founder of blockchain platform Cardano

More about him:

• Meet the Democrat trying to take Newsom down
• Q&A: Kevin Paffrath, recall candidate for California governor (San Diego Union Tribune)

Contact him:

@realmeetkevinmeetkevin.com