California recall candidate Larry Elder: What to know

By Times staff

Aug. 30, 2021 9:44 AM PT

Conservative talk show host Larry Elder has emerged as the Republican front-runner in the race to replace Gavin Newsom if California voters recall the governor.

Elder has been a fixture on conservative media for decades, appearing on KABC radio and, more recently, Fox News.

He grew up in South Los Angeles, a challenging childhood he has recounted in books. A graduate of Brown University and the University of Michigan Law School, Elder loves to debate issues. But his extreme views and what critics say is an embrace of misinformation have made him a highly controversial candidate, and he’s come under attack by Democrats as well as some Republicans.

Elder, 69, jumped into the race in mid-July, months after some other candidates, and immediately changed the dynamic. He became the front-runner in the polls and quickly raised significant sums of money, with a particularly strong showing among people who gave less than $100.

Elder once scoffed at going into California politics. Though he once judged California “ungovernable,” given super-majorities the Democrats hold in the Legislature, Elder said he did some research that changed his mind. He now says that he could make a mark, through vetoes, the “bully pulpit” of public persuasion and by declaring emergencies.

Here is what you need to know about Elder from the pages of The Times:

Profiles

Larry Elder’s views cost him listeners and even his best friend. But he won’t waver

Larry knows best: The sage of South Central (1998)

His record

What does Larry Elder’s talk radio commentary tell us about how he would lead California?

Elder’s ex-fiancee becomes his biggest critic

Larry Elder breached charity. But his own charity failed

Questions about Elder’s financial disclosures

Larry Elder vs. the press

Polling

Larry Elder leads GOP field