November 20, 2025 — Central Valley businessman and community donor Kyle Kirkland announced Tuesday that he will run for Congress in California’s 21st District, positioning himself as a political outsider focused on cost-of-living issues.
Kirkland, best known locally as the owner of Club One Casino in Fresno, also serves as president of the California Gaming Association and leads the Kirkland Foundation. He is a former chairman of Steinway Musical Instruments, the historic piano manufacturer.
In a statement, Kirkland said the Central Valley’s affordability challenges—rising housing, food, gas and health-care costs—motivated his decision to enter the race.
“Now that redistricting is behind us, it’s time to focus on the real problem facing Californians: the high cost of living,” he said, attributing price pressures to “decades of over-regulation, governmental mismanagement and no understanding of how to create affordable abundance.”
Kirkland argued that Congress needs representatives with business backgrounds rather than “career politicians,” saying his experience building teams, meeting payroll and navigating industry challenges has prepared him to seek “results and accountability” in Washington.
He described his candidacy as an extension of the work he has done in the private and nonprofit sectors, framing his campaign around themes of economic opportunity, public safety and restoring what he called the “American Dream.”
Kirkland is the latest candidate to step forward as the race in CA-21 begins to take shape following recent redistricting changes. More information about his campaign is available at his website, kirkland2026.com.