Former Rep. Doug Ose announced Tuesday that he has dropped out of the California gubernatorial recall race after suffering a heart attack.
Mr. Ose, a Republican, said he was treated at Mercy General Hospital after suffering symptoms Sunday at his home in Sacramento, and while he is expected to make a full recovery, “it has become clear that I must now focus my attention on rehabilitation and healing.”
“Sometimes you have to do things that you don’t want to do,” said Mr. Ose in a statement posted online. “It is what it is: my campaign for governor is over.”
The 66-year-old Mr. Ose was part of the top cohort of Republicans seeking to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in the Sept. 14 recall election.
A SurveyUSA poll released Aug. 4 for the San Diego Union-Tribune showed Mr. Ose with 4% support, trailing Republican frontrunner and radio host Larry Elder with 23%, businessman John Cox with 10%, and former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer with 5%.
In his statement, Mr. Ose encouraged Californians to vote “yes” on the recall and “put an end to the current reign of corruption and hypocrisy.”
He served three terms in Congress from 1999-2005 and declined to run for a fourth term to honor his term-limits pledge.
“I have a deep love for California, and since God gave me another day, I look forward to resuming the fight for the state that I call home,” Mr. Ose said.
Statement from Doug Ose Regarding His Campaign for Governor. #RECALLNewsom pic.twitter.com/jMNKlonfK7
— Doug Ose (@DougOse) August 17, 2021
Source:Washington Times
