Former OneRepublic member Tim Myers is running for Congress. The musician launched his campaign to challenge GOP House of Representatives incumbent Ken Calvert in the 41st District of Riverside County, which includes Los Angeles suburbs and Palm Springs.
“The people in charge are screwing us over just to make a buck,” Myers said in his first campaign video. “Trump, Musk and these clowns in Washington are cutting cancer research, veterans healthcare, and getting into trade wars — making everything we buy more expensive — all while giving billionaires another tax cut they don’t need. And where’s my hometown congressman? Ken Calvert has been in Washington for 30 years and all he’s done is make himself millions.”
Myers was around eight years old when Calvert was first elected in 1992. He spent five years in the early 2000s playing bass in OneRepublic before launching his solo career with Revolution, a politics-driven EP packed with anti-war songs. Before OneRepublic, he tried his luck with a band called Limousine. They landed a deal with Interscope/Geffen Records, but were soon dropped from the label. It was his earliest insight into the grueling nature of the music industry. He doesn’t think the government is much different.
“I’m a pastor’s son who grew up learning how to stretch a dollar in Corona, California. I turned a love of music into a career,” he said. “With some luck and a lot of hard work, I made it big, but it wasn’t always easy. Got signed, got dropped started over. I saw how the industry took advantage of people, so I built a business that puts artists first. It reminds me a lot of what we’re seeing now.”
Myers’ ActBlue campaign site includes a summary of his overall mission plan, which includes ensuring “that everyday people have a voice in Washington again.” It also notes: “Flipping this seat could be the key to taking back the House and ending Trump’s unchecked executive power.” Calvert has represented four different districts in the past three decades and has been consistently succeeded by a Democrat, including Joe Baca in the 43rd district, Janice Hahn in the 44th, and Robert Garcia in the 42nd.
Myers is currently the CEO of Palladium Records and has racked up songwriting and production credits on records from Aloe Blacc, Kesha, Hailee Steinfeld, and more. Now, he’s searching for a new sense of collaboration. “The status quo isn’t working. That’s how we ended up here to begin with. We need leaders who are gonna stand up and say, ‘Enough,’” he continued. “I’m Tim Myers and I’m running for Congress because one voice is weak, but a chorus is strong,” he concluded. “Let’s write a new song for California together.”
