World champion professional boxer Jessie Vargas on Monday launched a campaign for Nevada’s 4th U.S. Congressional District as a Republican candidate.
“I’m not a politician,” Vargas said in a campaign statement Monday. “And that’s exactly what we need in DC—we need nonpoliticians who will fight for us and get things done. We need a fighter who will fight to control Washington spending and inflation, improve our schools and keep our streets and neighborhoods safe.”
“This is the biggest fight of my life,” he continued. “I will fight for Nevadans to protect the American Dream.”
Vargas also said in his statement that “Washington is broken,” claiming that President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have taken the government “too far left.”
“Now is the time to fight back, cut spending in Washington, create better schools for our kids and support the police who keep us safe. The American dream came true for me, but Washington’s liberal policies are making it harder for everyone,” Vargas said. “I want the American dream to come true for my daughter and for all the people of District 4.”
Vargas, the son of Mexican immigrants, retired from professional boxing in 2020, winning the world lightweight and world welterweight championships within a three-year span, The Nevada Independent reported.
Vargas, who was on Mexico’s 2008 Olympic boxing team, told the Nevada newspaper that he left the Democratic Party due to “absurd issues.”
“The Democratic Party left me,” Vargas told The Nevada Independent. “That’s when I made the decision to run as a conservative. I mean, it’s quite clear. I’m pro-life. I’m pro-guns. I’m all for family values and for having strong law enforcement.”
Vargas joins several GOP candidates, including insurance salesman and veteran Sam Peter and former basketball player Tony Lane, in challenging incumbent Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.).
Horsford won his reelection bid in 2020, defeating Republican challenger Jim Marchant by 4.9 percentage points, The Nevada Independent noted.