Meet Kevin Just Made A Huge Announcement
Real estate agent and YouTuber Kevin Paffrath, better known to the Internet as "Meet Kevin," has officially thrown his hat into the ring in the 2021 California governor recall election. Paffrath made the announcement on his YouTube channel that he plans to run against current governor Gavin Newsom as a Democrat.
"[Kevin Paffrath is] a real estate broker [and] is now a self-made millionaire with a net worth of over $20 million. He now shares his knowledge through YouTube," according to a press release officially announcing his candidacy (via PR Newswire). "Now, Meet Kevin Paffrath understands why people are fleeing California. Taxes are too high. Homelessness is endemic. Housing affordability is at an all-time low. And, our schools are failing our citizens, creating the largest Dependent State in the country. Meet Kevin has a new vision for California."
Paffrath has launched an official campaign website that outlines his "20-Part Plan" of his new vision for California.
Meet Kevin has previously been profiled for his financial success
In November 2020, CNBC published a profile of Paffrath and his wife, Lauren, who own and run The Paffrath Organization together. As reported by CNBC, the millennial couple was expected to earn $6 million in 2020, with most of their income coming from the Meet Kevin YouTube channel which generates up to $150,000 per month.
The lengthy profile didn't include any mention of Paffrath's political interests let alone aspirations. A detailed breakdown of the couple's September 2020 monthly spending didn't show any donations to political organizations or candidates, which is noteworthy given the date's proximity to the upcoming election.
Per Paffrath's campaign website, his goal if elected is to achieve "$0 state income tax under $250,000, a solved homeless crisis, better housing [and] transportation, future schools, future courts, better policing, and a better California." The description of his "20-Part Plan" provides a brief outline of each goal with little explanation of how he plans to execute them.
Although most of Paffrath's goals are consistent with values espoused by other Democrats, his section on "Gun Safety" is a noteworthy aberration. "Trained gun-owners are currently treated like criminals in California. This is ridiculous," he writes, vowing that trained gun owners will have more rights under his administration.
Will Paffrath's campaign take off despite his lack of any prior political experience? Time will tell.