Chris Kluwe, the former NFL punter who seized national attention when he was arrested during a Huntington Beach City Council meeting, will run for the 72nd Assembly District seat.
Although there have been consistent pleas from people he’s met over the last several months since that City Council meeting to run for public office, Kluwe said he’s been reluctant to become a politician.
But, Kluwe said it would be a waste not to capitalize on the momentum he’s gathered and not seek office.
“I definitely think it’s a district we can flip,” Kluwe, a Democrat, said.
Current officeholder Assemblymember Diane Dixon, R-Newport Beach, isn’t seeking reelection and instead is running to join the OC Board of Supervisors. That means the seat is open in 2026.
A former punter for the Minnesota Vikings and raised in Seal Beach, Kluwe was arrested during a contentious City Council meeting over discussions to install a plaque with a MAGA acrostic on it outside of a city library. He called it an act of “peaceful civil disobedience” when he took a few steps toward councilmembers following public comments he made, expecting to be arrested.
The day after his arrest, Kluwe’s father shared words of encouragement that stuck.
“When you serve your country, sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do,” Kluwe recalled his father telling him.
Kluwe said he asked the Democratic Party of Orange County if anyone was considering running in the district, and they told him no one had expressed strong interest to them.
The decision to run became crystallized when Huntington Beach Councilmember Gracey Van Der Mark last month announced that she was running in the 72nd Assembly District. Van Der Mark was the Huntington Beach councilmember who kicked off the library cultural wars that led to Kluwe’s City Council protest and subsequent arrest.
In office, Kluwe’s priorities would be addressing climate change and housing, two issues that squarely affect the district, he said. The 72nd District is largely coastal, and the state needs to be prepared to mitigate the upcoming consequences of climate change, like rising sea levels, he said.
He added that wildfires, which are becoming more prevalent, and the difficulties that come with that, like home insurance, also need to be addressed. The district also includes wildfire-prone areas.
Kluwe said there has to be a way to thread the needle to build more affordable housing and also respect the coastal community feel that’s already in place.
“We need to build housing for people,” he said. “That’s how you fix homelessness and keep a thriving economy.”
Kluwe has long been an outspoken advocate on social issues during and after his playing career. And after his arrest, Kluwe used his newfound platform to become a prominent voice demanding action from Democrats to counter the Trump administration better.
Kluwe has not been charged following his arrest and instead began a pre-filing diversion program. It requires him to complete 20 hours of community service and not be arrested for six months, so that charges would not be filed against him. Kluwe said he has spent his time volunteering at Shipley Nature Center.
Kluwe said he’s not filed paperwork yet or set up a campaign infrastructure. Despite being a political newcomer, Kluwe said he’s fully committed.
“Football was something I’ve never done before,” Kluwe said. “If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”