Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy’s son Ryan says he will run as an independent candidate for Nevada governor in this year’s election.
Ryan Bundy, 45, said he will run on a states’ rights platform and plans to file for the race on Wednesday.
“I want to make sure that Nevada is not just seen as a subdivision of the United States but a sovereign state,” he said. “The ownership and control of the land within the state of Nevada will be a big part of my campaign.”
Bundy, along with his father, Cliven Bundy, 71, and brother Ammon Bundy, 42, were freed from jail Jan. 8 after nearly two years in federal custody over an April 2014 armed standoff with federal authorities near the family ranch in Bunkerville. A judge, citing prosecutorial misconduct, dropped the charges.
In a separate case, a jury acquitted the Bundys in federal court on charges related to the takeover of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon in 2016.
Ryan Bundy said he plans to conduct rallies across the state, and Cliven Bundy said he might join his son on the campaign trail.
Ryan Bundy is the first member of his family to run for a statewide office in Nevada. His mother, Carol Bundy, ran unsuccessfully for justice of the peace in Bunkerville Township.
Ryan Bundy said he is running because state officials are not doing enough to protect Nevada’s sovereignty, not for “power, prestige or position.”
Cliven Bundy said his son is “a good man that wants to make a difference for our state.”
“He wants to serve the people,” Cliven Bundy said. “I think the public is going to like him, and he’s going to be great for Nevada.”