The former world champion announced this week that he has launched his campaign for U.S. Congress in the state of Nevada, where he will run to represent District 4.
Jessie Vargas is the latest boxer to enter the political fray.
The former world champion announced Monday that he has launched his campaign for U.S. Congress, where he will run to represent Nevada’s 4th U.S. Congressional District.
Vargas, 32, is a former two-division title holder, having won the WBA and IBO super lightweight champion in 2014, as well as the WBO welterweight champion in 2016. His final fight took place in February 2020, where he former four-division champ Mikey Garcia by unanimous decision. Now, after hanging up his boxing gloves, Vargas has pivoted his attention to fighting “crazy liberal ideas” and upholding the American dream.
“I’m not a politician,” Vargas, a former democrat, said in video announcing his campaign. “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. I will fight for Nevadans to protect the American Dream.”
Vargas is seeking the Republican nomination against a field of GOP candidates that includes Carolina Serrano and Sam Peters. HIs campaign site lists several of the prospective politician’s goals, which include eliminating vaccine mandates and “unlawful regulation that will require private businesses to force their employees to get vaccinated.” He also plans to create “stronger schools” by targeting “crazy liberal ideas like Critical Race Theory,” and will work to “end the tragedy that is abortion in this country.”
“Washington is broken,” Vargas added. “Biden and Pelosi have taken out government too far to the 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. I want the American dream to come true for my daughter and for all the people of District 4.”
Vargas’ pivot to politics has become a trend among successful boxers. Juan Manuel Márquez ran for a congressional seat in Mexico earlier this year, while Vitali Klitschko currently serves as the Mayor of Kyiv. Vargas’ former opponent, Manny Pacquiao, is a senator in the Philippines and recently accepted the nomination to run for president in 2022.