Antonio Sabato, Jr., said Thursday that his speech at the Republican National Convention in 2016 blacklisted him from work in Hollywood and prompted his congressional run.
“I decided it was time for me to speak out and I was blacklisted from Hollywood. But I love my country a lot more and I’m ready to fight for the American people and I’m ready to fight for my district — district 26 Ventura County. My opponent has not lived in this country for a long time, probably never. And I’m ready to fight,” Mr. Sabato, an actor who is running as a Republican, said on Fox News.
He also said that his past struggles with addiction are part of what prompted him to run for Congress since he said many in the country are facing a similar struggle.
“I fell into the cracks. I started from talking to a doctor about getting help sleeping on planes, then I started taking pills to sleep at night, I was very unhappy in my relationship, in my marriage at the time, so I was trying to cope with that by going to sleep and forgetting about my problems,” Mr. Sabato said.
“I want to be a politician that’s honest with the American people,” he said.
California’s 26th congressional district is part of the southern Central Coast and inland just north of Los Angeles. The district is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Julia Brownley, but has traded back and forth between parties since the 1960s amid numerous redistricting challenges.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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