Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer has announced that he is running for governor of California. Faulconer is the first major Republican to formally step into the contest as signatures are being gathered for a recall effort against Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. The 54-year-old centrist Republican says that California has become a failed state under Newsom, accusing him of botching such issues as homelessness and dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. Faulconer, who headed Democratic-leaning San Diego for two terms, said last year he was considering entering the race and in January formed a committee to begin raising money for a likely run against Newsom. Newsom's campaign said the governor would remain focused on distributing COVID-19 vaccine and providing relief for families and small businesses while Republicans jockey for political advantage. Faulconer would face an uphill fight in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 2-to-1. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world. To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/qt/live, or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app. Have a story to tell? Fill out this survey for a chance to have it featured on Bloomberg Quicktake: https://cor.us/surveys/27AF30 Connect with us on… YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Bloomberg Breaking News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BloombergQuickTakeNews Twitter: https://twitter.com/quicktake Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quicktake Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quicktake