Chris Kluwe, a Democrat and former NFL player, is running for California State Assembly District 72 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Republican Gracey Van Der Mark.
The district covers portions of Orange County.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Residence: Huntington Beach, where Kluwe said he and his wife, Isabel, have lived for more than two decades. They have two children, Ace and Remy, who attend local public schools, according to his campaign website. Kluwe said he grew up in Seal Beach, which is part of Assembly District 72.
- Education: Bachelor's degree in political science and history (double major), UCLA, 2005, according to his campaign website; high school diploma, Los Alamitos High School, according to BallotReady profile data.
- Endorsements: California Democratic Party, AFL-CIO, California Teachers' Association, California School Employees Association, AFSCME Local 3299, Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, Orange County Democrats, California Young Democrats, and Working Families Party, according to BallotReady profile data.
Experience and public service
Kluwe played in the NFL from 2005 to 2012, according to his campaign website. During eight seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, he said he set nearly every punting record in the franchise's history. He has also worked as a writer, according to his campaign website, and as a coach, according to BallotReady profile data.
Kluwe said on his campaign website that he became one of the first active NFL players to publicly champion marriage equality, authoring a widely shared open letter. He later contributed to a Supreme Court amicus brief challenging California's Proposition 8, according to his campaign website.
He also said he was arrested at a Huntington Beach City Council meeting for protesting what he called the council's efforts to politicize the city's library.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Kluwe's responses on his campaign issues page via BallotReady. They reflect the candidate's own stated views.
Housing: Kluwe said he supports accelerating construction of new homes through zoning reform and public investment. He called for streamlining the home-building process by consolidating multiple agencies and regulations.
Education: Kluwe said he supports fully funding public schools and ensuring equitable access to quality education for every student in Orange County and California.
Environment and energy: Kluwe said he supports expanding clean energy use and building resilient communities to reduce household costs and California's carbon footprint. He said he also wants to protect Orange County's beaches and nature reserves.
Technology and privacy: Kluwe said he supports promoting the safe, ethical deployment of artificial intelligence in schools and workplaces. He said he wants to protect residents' private data from corporate and government misuse.
Civil rights: Kluwe said he supports defending the rights of all Californians against unnecessary government overreach and fighting what he described as rising extremism.
Candidate responses were collected through BallotReady's questionnaire process and the candidate's campaign website. The Newport Signal presents this profile as part of its 2026 election coverage to help voters evaluate candidates on the ballot.
