California’s gubernatorial race is packed with seasoned officeholders, deep-pocketed candidates, and high-profile politicians who want the chance to lead the state. It is also home to what may be the most unintentionally entertaining ballot in America.
Among the 61 candidates running in the state’s wide-open governor’s race is Barack D. Obama Shaw — not to be confused with former President Barack Obama, a distinction Shaw apparently has to make often.
The Alameda resident legally changed his name to Barack Obama in 2013 after becoming inspired by the former president and is now running for governor as a Democrat. His full ballot name: Barack D. Obama Shaw.
The unusual candidacy has already produced at least one memorable campaign moment.
While campaigning on a street corner in Alameda earlier this spring, Shaw was confronted by a middle-aged man who climbed out of his pickup truck, grabbed the candidate’s microphone, and yelled: “You’re not Barack Obama. You’re a fraud!”
The accusation, while technically accurate, did little to shake Shaw’s confidence, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
A tall music teacher with a slight Texas accent and a salt-and-pepper mustache, Shaw insists he has a legitimate path to victory despite competing against nationally known figures and candidates with millions of dollars in campaign cash.
“It’s definitely possible,” Shaw said of his chances of winning the governorship. “I’m stronger on paper than all these candidates with more money.”
In a state known for colorful politics, Shaw is hardly alone in standing out.
Another little-known candidate on the ballot is LivingForGod AndCountry DeMott, an independent whose resume includes pest control and chaplaincy work. DeMott is running on a platform opposing ICE raids and the vehicle miles traveled tax, adding another unexpected subplot to an already crowded race.
The sheer size of California’s gubernatorial field — and the range of personalities in it — has turned portions of the campaign into something resembling political theater.
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For voters, the result is a ballot that can occasionally read less like a traditional election and more like a reminder that in California politics, almost anything — and almost anyone — is possible.
California’s primary election is June 2. The top two finishers, regardless of party, go through to the November general election. Term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is widely viewed as an early Democratic front-runner for the White House in 2028.