Daniel Mercuri
Republican
Candidate Biography:
Born: July 30, 1976 in Santa Ana, CA
Military Service: USN
2020: Special Primary Candidate for CD-25 (Lost; 1.6%)
2022: Primary Candidate for Governor (Lost; 0.6%)
2026: No Party Preference Primary Candidate for Governor (Pending)
- From the 2021 campaign website: "He’s not looking to shake hands or panhandle with overwhelmingly corrupted bureau(r)ats, he’s looking to free the people of government tyranny and stop the Deep State and their seditious Establishment. Trying to reason with the unreasonable is not possible, because a crazy person will always make a sane person go crazy."
- "Daniel Mercuri, a Southern California native with six years’ experience running for office, officially changes party affiliation from Republican to “NPP” (February 2026 press release)
- "Mercuri, never failing to stun fellow candidates and debate audiences with his unparalleled constitutional knowledge and policies for California, exposes the compromised nature of the CA Republican Party: “I no longer have any respect for the California Republican Party. They’ve allowed themselves to be infiltrated by the very ideals they claim to stand against …" (February 2026 press release