Omar Navarro

For other people named Omar Navarro, see Omar Navarro (disambiguation).

Omar Navarro (born January 9, 1989) is an American perennial candidate for the seat of California's 43rd congressional district against longtime Democratic congresswoman Maxine Waters. A member of the Republican Party, Navarro ran unsuccessfully against Waters in 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022.

Omar Navarro
Born	(1989-01-09) January 9, 1989 (age 34) Inglewood, California, U.S.
Education	ITT-Technical Institute
Known for	Perennial candidate for Congress in Southern California
Political party	Republican
Website	omarnavarro.com

Early life and career

Navarro was born and raised in Inglewood, California. He spent a significant portion of his life in Hawthorne and Torrance. Navarro's parents are Mexican^[1] and Cuban immigrants.

Navarro is an independent business owner in the tech industry specializing in marketing.^[2] Navarro served as volunteer traffic commissioner for Torrance, California.

Electoral history

2016

After declaring for Congress, Navarro was defeated by Waters who received 76.1% of the vote. The district includes parts of L.A., Torrance, Carson, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale and Lomita.^[3][4][5]

2018

Navarro challenged Waters for her seat in 2018.^[6] He was again defeated, with Waters receiving 77.7% of the vote to Navarro's 22.3%.^[7][8]

Navarro's campaign raised more than $450,000 in the third quarter^[1][9] and spent $11,845 on rental fees and meals at the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes as well as multiple stays at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.^[10] Navarro received national attention for raising over $1,000,000 during his 2018 campaign as a whole.^[11][12]

2020

In the March 3, 2020, California primary, Navarro failed to qualify for the general election, finishing third with 10.9% of the total vote.^[13] Waters received 78.1% of the vote with Republican Joe Collins finishing second with 11.1%. Navarro was unable to campaign at the time of the primary as he was incarcerated; however, he still raised $500,000 in donations.^[14]

2022

On January 11, 2021, Navarro announced that he would be challenging Waters again in 2022.^[15] In the June 7, 2022, California primary, Navarro finished second to Waters with 13.2% of the total vote. In the general election, Waters received 77.3% of the vote with Navarro receiving 22.7%, marking the fourth consecutive election cycle that Navarro has been defeated. Following this loss, Navarro announced he was moving to Florida.

Endorsements

 

Navarro with advisor Roger Stone

Navarro has had endorsements from Roger Stone, Michael Flynn,^[16] Joe Arpaio,^[17] Herman Cain, and Alex Jones, among others.^[18] He met Flynn in person in February 2018, while in Washington to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference.^[19]

Conspiracy theories

In October 2020, Navarro tweeted "Where we go one, we go all", a slogan adopted by the community surrounding the QAnon conspiracy theory. ^[20] He also made at least one tweet in 2016 promoting the Pizzagate conspiracy theory. ^[21]

Criminal history

Electronic tracking device

Navarro was convicted for attaching an electronic tracking device to his wife's car on February 14, 2016.^[22] He pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge in Orange County and was sentenced to a day in jail and 18 months’ probation in September 2016. He was also ordered to take an anger management course.^[23] He was on probation until March 2018.^[24]

Navarro was found guilty only two weeks before the 2016 election.^[25] Before Navarro pleaded guilty, he blamed the Orange County District Attorney's Office and the media for spreading fake news.^[26]

Forged letter

Navarro released a fraudulent letter on his Twitter account that indicated Maxine Waters wanted to resettle tens of thousands of refugees into her Los Angeles district. The letter appeared to be printed on Waters' House office stationery and looked as if written by her, bearing her signature, alleging that she was in communication with CAIR-LA (a Los Angeles-based chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations) and Hussam Ayloush (the executive director of CAIR-LA) to relocate refugees in Los Angeles. The letter contained several inaccuracies, including references to committees and subcommittees on which Waters does not serve, and listing an address for a district office that had been closed for nearly a decade.^[27]

Navarro was interrogated by the FBI and Capitol Police regarding the matter. He told the Los Angeles Times that he did not fabricate the letter and claimed that he received it from a person whose name he would not reveal and with whom he had not been in touch since he received the letter.^[28]

Restraining order, alleged stalking, and incarceration

On August 1, 2019, a restraining order was issued against Navarro for five years for his former girlfriend, conservative activist DeAnna Lorraine Tesoriero, who is publicly known as DeAnna Lorraine.^[29] In the ruling, the judge cited Navarro's "harassing and stalking" behavior towards Tesoriero. This is Navarro's second restraining order against a former partner in two years as one was previously issued in 2017 for his ex-wife.^[30]

On December 7, 2019, Navarro attempted to meet with Lorraine and was charged with stalking, criminal threats, attempted extortion (all felonies), and violating a restraining order (a misdemeanor).^[31] On December 12, 2019, Navarro was remanded into custody on a further seven charges by San Francisco County Superior Court judge Suzanne Bolanos for being a threat to public safety, and he was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.^[32] He pleaded guilty to one charge and served six months in prison.^[14]

Campaign finance violations

On September 27, 2023, Navarro was indicted on 43 federal charges including misuse of campaign finances. Navarro was already in state custody on unrelated charges and is expected to be turned over soon to federal authorities.^[33]

References

1. "Republicans Are Raising Tons Of Money To Beat Maxine Waters Knowing They Can't Win". News One. October 16, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
2. "'Highly irregular': Candidate took a salary from campaign contributions while running against Maxine Waters". Daily Breeze. December 6, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
3. "Maxine Waters pops up in national politics as 'symbol for both sides'". Daily Democrat. July 15, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
4. "Controversial ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio to speak at Trump National in Rancho Palos Verdes". Daily Breeze. October 17, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2019.; "RealClearPolitics - 2016 California House Election Results". www.realclearpolitics.com. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
5. "Michael Flynn campaigns for Republican candidate running against Maxine Waters". nydailynews.com. Associated Press. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
6. "Omar Navarro | California State Library". Voter’s Edge California. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
7. "Rep. Maxine Waters wins California's 43rd Congressional District seat". The Washington Post.
8. "Elections 2018: Rep. Maxine Waters beats Omar Navarro again". Daily News. November 6, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2019.; "California Election Results: 43rd House District". The New York Times. January 28, 2019. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 4, 2019.; "California's 43rd Congressional District election, 2018". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 4, 2019.; "California Election Results 2018: Live Midterm Map by County & Analysis". www.politico.com. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
9. White, Jeremy B. "GOP long-shot rakes in cash from Maxine Waters haters". POLITICO. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
10. "California Republicans spent big bucks at Trump hotels, golf clubs and resorts". The Mercury News. December 18, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2019.; "Long-shot GOP hopefuls turned to Trump properties for fundraising boost". The Washington Post.
11. "NAVARRO, OMAR - Candidate overview". FEC.gov. July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
12. "California Secretary of State 2020 Presidential Primary Election Results". www.sos.ca.gov. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
13. "California Secretary of State 2020 Presidential Primary Election Results". www.sos.ca.gov. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
14. Sommer, Will (July 9, 2020). . The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
15. @RealOmarNavarro (January 11, 2021). "I'm running against Maxine Waters in 2022 and will fight against big tech censorship when elected to Congress" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
16. "Flynn campaigns for GOP candidates while awaiting sentencing". PBS NewsHour. May 11, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2019.; "Michael Flynn came to California to campaign for Maxine Waters' far-right challenger". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. March 19, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
17. FOX (October 19, 2017). "Arizona's Ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio stumps for GOP congressional candidate Omar Navarro". KTTV. Retrieved June 4, 2019.; "Ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio blasts Maxine Waters, California, predicts an upset". Press Enterprise. October 20, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
18. Raymond, Adam K. (April 20, 2018). "Michael Flynn's Comeback Is On". Intelligencer. Retrieved June 4, 2019.; "Michael Flynn 'putting his life back together' after guilty plea in Mueller probe". ABC News. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
19. "Michael Flynn campaigning for California congressional candidate". ABC News. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
20. Kaplan, Alex. "Here are the QAnon supporters running for Congress in 2020". Media Matters for America. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
21. Omar Navarro [@RealOmarNavarro] (December 13, 2016). "#PizzaGate BBC Covering Up Yet Another Huge Pedophile Scandal" (Tweet). Retrieved August 22, 2022 – via Twitter.
22. "Congressional candidate Omar Navarro on probation for illegal use of tracking device". The Daily Breeze. October 20, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2020.; Bowden, John (March 16, 2018). "Flynn endorses Maxine Waters challenger". The Hill. Retrieved June 4, 2019.; Resnick, Gideon (October 20, 2017). "An Utterly Strange, Motley Crew of Trumpkins Is Gunning to Defeat Maxine Waters". Retrieved June 4, 2019.
23. "Congressional candidate Omar Navarro on probation for illegal use of tracking device – Daily Breeze". Daily Breeze. October 19, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
24. "Police records: Upland council candidate Rudy Zuñiga is Vagos outlaw motorcycle gang member". Daily Bulletin. October 9, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
25. Wire, Sarah D. (November 27, 2017). "Why conservative headliners are teaming up to challenge Maxine Waters in Los Angeles". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
26. "Mike Flynn back in public eye to endorse dubious candidate". MSNBC.com. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
27. "The FBI Wants To Talk To Maxine Waters' GOP Opponent About This Fake Letter He Shared". Bustle. Retrieved June 4, 2019.; Crockett, Stephen A. Jr. (August 28, 2018). "Auntie Maxine's GOP Opponent to Speak With FBI After Tweeting Most Racist Fake Letter Ever". The Root. Retrieved June 4, 2019.; "Who is behind the forged letter targeting Maxine Waters?". ThinkProgress. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
28. Wire, Sarah D. (August 27, 2018). "FBI to talk to Rep. Maxine Waters' opponent about tweeting of fake letter". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 4, 2019.; Wire, Sarah D. (August 29, 2018). "FBI meeting with GOP candidate who posted fake letter about Rep. Maxine Waters is postponed". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 4, 2019.; Garcia, Eric; Garcia, Eric (August 28, 2018). "FBI to Talk to Maxine Waters' Republican Opponent". Retrieved June 4, 2019.
29. "California Primary Election Results: 12th House District". The New York Times. June 29, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.; "Deanna for Congress". deannaforcongress.com. September 18, 2019. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
30. Green, Nick (August 3, 2019). "Judge issues restraining order against Southern California Republican congressional candidate Omar Navarro". mercurynews.com. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
31. A Perennial Congressional Candidate Beloved by Trump World Was Just Arrested on Stalking Charges, by Will Sommer, at The Daily Beast; published December 9, 2019; retrieved December 9, 2019
32. SF judge holds GOP House candidate Omar Navarro on stalking charges, by Michael Barba, at The San Francisco Examiner; published December 12, 2019; retrieved December 13, 2019
33. "Four-Time Congressional Candidate Charged in Long-Running Misuse of Campaign Funds". United States Department of Justice. September 27, 2023. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.