Kevin Paffrath

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Kevin Paffrath

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

September 14, 2021

Education

Bachelor's

UCLA, 2014

Personal

Profession

Content creator

Contact

Campaign website

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Kevin Paffrath (Democratic Party) ran for election for Governor of California. He lost in the recall election on September 14, 2021.

Paffrath completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.

This special election was related to the recall of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). Paffrath ran as a replacement candidate in the event that the governor was recalled.

Biography

Kevin Paffrath was born in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He earned a bachelor’s degree from UCLA in 2014. His career experience includes working as a real estate broker, entrepreneur, investor, and YouTube content creator.

Elections

2021

Gavin Newsom yes/no recall question

Gavin Newsom recall, 2021

Gavin Newsom won the Governor of California recall election on September 14, 2021.

			Recall  Vote	%	Votes
			Yes	38.1	4,894,473
		✔	No	61.9	7,944,092
			Total Votes		12,838,565

---

It has been certified. Source

Gavin Newsom replacement question

The ordering on the candidate list below does not reflect the order in which candidates will appear on the recall ballot. Click here to read Ballotpedia's policy on ordering candidate lists.

General election

Special general election for Governor of California

The following candidates ran in the special general election for Governor of California on September 14, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
		Larry Elder (R)	48.4	3,563,867
		Kevin Paffrath (D)	9.6	706,778
		Kevin Faulconer (R)	8.0	590,346
		Brandon Ross (D)	5.3	392,029
		John Cox (R)	4.1	305,095
		Kevin Kiley (R)	3.5	255,490
		Jacqueline McGowan (D)	2.9	214,242
		Joel Ventresca (D)	2.5	186,345
		Daniel Watts (D)	2.3	167,355
		Holly Baade (D)	1.3	92,218
		Patrick Kilpatrick (D)	1.2	86,617
		Armando Perez-Serrato (D)	1.2	85,061
		Caitlyn Jenner (R)	1.0	75,215
		John Drake (D)	0.9	68,545
		Daniel Kapelovitz (G)	0.9	64,375
		Jeff Hewitt (L)	0.7	50,378
		Ted Gaines (R)	0.7	47,937
		Angelyne (No party preference)	0.5	35,900
		David Moore (No party preference)	0.4	31,224
		Anthony Trimino (R)	0.4	28,101
		Doug Ose (R) (Unofficially withdrew)	0.4	26,204
		Michael Loebs (No party preference)	0.3	25,468
		Heather Collins (G)	0.3	24,260
		Major Singh (No party preference)	0.3	21,394
		David Lozano (R)	0.3	19,945
		Denver Stoner (R)	0.3	19,588
		Samuel Gallucci (R)	0.2	18,134
		Steven Chavez Lodge (R)	0.2	17,435
		Jenny Rae Le Roux (R)	0.2	16,032
		David Bramante (R)	0.2	11,501
		Diego Martinez (R)	0.1	10,860
		Robert Newman (R)	0.1	10,602
		Sarah Stephens (R)	0.1	10,583
		Dennis Richter (No party preference)	0.1	10,468
		Major Williams (R) (Write-in)	0.1	8,965
		Denis Lucey (No party preference)	0.1	8,182
		James Hanink (No party preference)	0.1	7,193
		Daniel Mercuri (R)	0.1	7,110
		Chauncey Killens (R)	0.1	6,879
		Leo Zacky (R)	0.1	6,099
		Kevin Kaul (No party preference)	0.1	5,600
		David Hillberg (R)	0.1	4,435
		Adam Papagan (No party preference)	0.1	4,021
		Rhonda Furin (R)	0.1	3,964
		Nickolas Wildstar (R)	0.1	3,811
		Jeremiah Marciniak (No party preference)	0.0	2,894
		Joe Symmon (R)	0.0	2,397
	Submit photo	Miki Habryn (No party preference) (Write-in)	0.0	137
	Submit photo	Roxanne (D) (Write-in)	0.0	116
	Submit photo	Stacy Smith (D) (Write-in)	0.0	81
	Submit photo	Vivek Mohan (No party preference) (Write-in)	0.0	68
	Submit photo	Thuy Hugens (American Independent Party of California) (Write-in)	0.0	19
	Submit photo	Vince Lundgren (No party preference) (Write-in)	0.0	5

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,361,568
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Karen Blake (R)
• Mariana Dawson (No party preference)
• Veronika Fimbres (G)
• Elizabeth Floyd (No party preference)
• Wayne Frazier (R)
• Timothy Herode (R)
• Luis Huang (D)
• Jimih Jones (R)
• Paul Mesrop Kurdian (No party preference)
• Carla Canada (No party preference)
• Mary Cook (No party preference)
• Torr Leonard (D)
• Jeremy Lupoli (D)
• Louis J. Marinelli, III (R)
• Christopher Mason (R)
• John Pierce (R)
• Patrick Rakus Jr. (R)
• Frank Wade (D)
• Marc Roth (No party preference)
• Christopher Carlson (G)
• Douglas Deitch (D)
• Bryan Farley (D)
• Justin Hubbard (R)
• Jason Dixon (D)
• Sean Harrison (R)
• Ronald Palmieri (D)
• Ben Zandpour (No party preference)
• Robert Davidson Griffis (D)
• A. Shantz (G)
• Adam Hadjinian (No party preference)
• Michael Lynn Gabriel (No party preference)
• Hilaire Shioura (No party preference)
• Lee Olson (No party preference)
• Joseph Luciano (R)
• Steven Fitzgerald (R)
• Anthony Fanara (D)
• Jemiss Nazar (No party preference)
• Kevin Abushi (R)
• Joseph Amey (American Independent Party of California)

Campaign themes

2021

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released May 21, 2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Kevin Paffrath completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Paffrath's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Kevin Paffrath, also known as Meet Kevin, is an American YouTuber, investor, and real estate broker from Ventura, California. Kevin announced that he was running for governor of California in the 2021 recall election Monday, May 17th. He’s running as a Democrat and is the 26th person to officially enter the race to replace Gavin Newsom.

With over 1.6 million YouTube subscribers, Kevin focuses on financial education and news-related content. Kevin has previously been featured in the New York Times, Business Insider, Forbes, and CNBC for his financial-education content. He also commonly interviews CEOs and other well-known people in the financial world.

Paffrath came to California with $1,000 at 17 years old. While working at Jamba Juice & Red Robin, he attended Buena High & Ventura College before graduating UCLA. Paffrath became a Realtor & bought his first home and later numerous rental homes. He later became a real estate broker & is now a self-made millionaire with a net worth of over $20 million. He shares his knowledge through YouTube. Now, Kevin 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.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Remove the CA State Income Tax on the first $250,000 of income
• Solve the Homelessness Crisis
• Completely Overhaul Education by Creating Future Schools

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Kevin Paffrath is passionate about investing in education, increasing affordable housing, and solving the homeless crisis in California.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Transparency and accountability. Transparency is key in building trust, which is why Kevin Paffrath is documenting every aspect of his campaign and broadcasting it on his YouTube channel "Meet Kevin".

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Kevin Paffrath has an unmatched work ethic. Kevin Paffrath came to California with $1,000 at 17 years old. While working at Jamba Juice & Red Robin, he attended Buena High & Ventura College before graduating UCLA. At age 19, Paffrath became a Realtor & bought his first home and later numerous rental homes. 2 years later, he became a real estate broker & is now a self-made millionaire with a net worth of over $20 million. He now shares his knowledge through YouTube.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Kevin Paffrath's first job was working Jamba Juice when he moved to California at the age of 17. He had this job for one year.

A governor is the top executive authority in his or her state. What does that mean do you?

It means that the Governor is responsible for the state and it's citizens. One my first day, I will issue four states of emergency.

1.) State of Emergency: Ending Homelessness within 60 days.
2.) State of Emergency: Housing Crisis: State to Take Over ALL Building and Safety/ Development for Expediting Building Permits IMMEDIATELY.
3.) State of Emergency: Creating Future Schools to immediately provide a free path to financial, vocational, high school, and college education in ONE platform.
4.) State of Emergency: Transportation: Immediately authorizing and requiring private proposals for tunnels, variable toll roads, mass transit, roads, and ending High-Speed-Rail Funding.

Governors have many responsibilities, which vary from state to state. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your state?

Making sure our youth have a future, our homeless are safe and feed, and that California is competitive with other states.

What do you love most about your state?

That Gavin Newsom won't be governor come November.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Gavin Newsom

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Paffrath's campaign website stated the following:

“	1. NO Homeless on Our Streets within 60 Days. Housing for All Homeless within 60 Days via Emergency Powers. Centralized medical & substance, mental-health, and educational support immediately available. 3 meals per day, showers, and hygiene supplies for free. No one lives on the streets in our State within 60 days. Partnership with Corporations, Non-Profits, and the Public, coordinated by the Governor’s Office, to END Homelessness and to provide support, clothing, and additional resources. The National Guard will be tasked with compassionately serving our homeless community during the first 60 days of Kevin Paffrath’s administration. Day 1, construction will also begin on 80, new Emergency Facilities. After 30 days, our transition to housing begins. Modern Emergency Facilities will include: mental-health facilities, detox facilities, educational facilities, canteens, and provide medical support for ALL Californian’s without housing. Then, we have to also solve the reasons that CAUSE homelessness. 2. Massively Reducing Crime through New Community-Style Policing & Integration with Future Schools. Focus on community policing and reintegrating trust with law enforcement and communities by funding better training and social work. We will fully fund our police and fire departments to ensure we are the safest, most-beautiful State in the Country. This means better training, more training, and more jobs. This is critical for our economy, locals, and tourism. Additionally: Non-violent inmates in jails/prisons will have the option, if qualified, to work community service in neighborhoods they committed crimes in, under police supervision. Prisoners should contribute to our society; society shouldn’t only contribute to them. Inmates will clean our streets, roads, towns/cities, and remove graffiti. Option to attend separate Future Schools to prevent repeat offending (separate from 16-18 year olds). This has the potential of providing criminals an option for a career path after release. Focus on training, social support, and community. 3. Future Schools & $2,000 PER MONTH for Each Attendee over 18. Future Schools combine college, trade school, high school, & financial education. Students at 16 will have the choice to graduate debt free, for free, at 18, ready for career placement. In partnership with small, medium, and large businesses, unions, and non-profits throughout CA. For example, here are just 3 high-demand careers Future Schools will teach (Future Schools will teach DOZENS of opportunities and provide licenses, but here are 3 examples). A computer programmer in CA makes $71,000-$120,000 as a starting salary. An electrical engineer in CA makes between $43,000-97,000 as a starting salary. An nurse in CA makes between $57,000-91,000 as a starting salary. And NONE of these individuals require welfare, food stamps, or most other government subsidies like MediCal. Currently, 33% of Californians are on MediCal. We need to give Californians an opportunity for dignity again. Practically: at 16, students will have a choice to attend a Future School. Students will learn communication skills, business skills, financial education, basic accounting, and life-prep skills. In addition, students will study and intern for a career. Some days of the week may be set aside specifically for interning with businesses, non-profits, government offices, and unions. For enrollees over 18 years old, students will receive $2,000 per month for attending Future Schools. This is expected to dramatically reduce poverty and provide a path towards financial freedom for Californians. All Californian’s are eligible. If a student does not have a tax payer identification number (TIN), Future Schools will work with the Federal government to provide students a path to legal citizenship. Also, Consider This: Instead of guessing what businesses need, businesses, unions, governments, and non-profits of all sizes will work with our Future Schools to share with our teachers exactly what they are looking for in students. This will enable teachers to educate our students on material that will actually lead them to a profitable, wealth-building career. Traditional Universities will still be an option for students who attend Future Schools AFTER they graduate. Funding Future Schools: See our plan on Ending Unaffordable Housing. Additionally, consolidating some community colleges and high schools will free up funding as well. 4. Making Housing Affordable. We have unaffordable rents and housing due to a LACK of homes. Currently, the State of California builds just 80,000 new units per year. However, via California Emergency Powers under my administration, we will build 500,000 new housing units per year for 5 years. There are 482 cities in California. This is an average of just over 1,000 homes per city (more units obviously in denser areas). This also INCLUDES speeding building-department approvals up AND redeveloping existing, unused commercial spaces for homes. To facilitate this: The State will control ALL building and safety rather than local building departments (new jobs added / existing jobs maintained). Of course, local building “designs” will remain intact and the goal is simply to streamline the development process with better, and greener standards, with a priority on just have “one high-quality” standard throughout the State. Bonus Expedition Option: CA will offer housing developers 1-week approval-response processes to Build Homes (rather than the usual 6-12 month process) in exchange for a 5% Fee paid to the State of California. This revenue will be used to fund Future Schools. Developers are likely to pay this since developers usually waste 5-10% of their project funds on “holding costs” while waiting for City / County approvals. 5. Ending Bad Traffic with Better Roads, that also Pay Us. Create NEW roads starting with the MOST congested areas FIRST, reducing traffic jams, commute times, and pollution in those areas. Create OPTIONAL, variable-direction toll roads. Some new roads may be built in partnership with private companies as toll roads, allowing private businesses to invest in roads themselves and share toll revenues with the state. One option may be building tunnels under existing freeways. Tunnels can be built for approximately $10 million per mile in areas where we need them (congested areas) vs. the high-speed rail, which costs an average of $125 million per mile and up to $200 million per mile in hilly regions. Ironically, many of the areas the high-speed rail would service are not high-traffic areas. The CATO Institute also found that the high-speed rail’s economic benefit will be a breakeven at BEST and also take 71 years to become climate/economically neutral.	”
—Kevin Paffrath’s campaign website (2021)

See also

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