Kyle Kirkland

Kyle Kirkland is the Republican nominee in California's 21st District, a Fresno businessman who owns Club One Casino and is a former chairman of Steinway Musical Instruments. He ran unsuccessfully in the 2024 primaries in the neighboring 20th District. His 2026 campaign against Rep. Jim Costa centers on the cost of living.[1][2][3]

Kirkland was born in Virginia to a teacher and a banker and grew up in Maine, according to his Ballotpedia survey. He earned an A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1984 and an M.B.A. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 1988. He has lived in California for almost 40 years, the last 15 in the Central Valley.[1]

Kirkland began his career in finance and founded an investment banking firm in 1994. He says he and a partner bought a small musical instrument company in 1993 and grew it into Steinway Musical Instruments, which went public in 1996, and he was its chairman for 17 years.[1][2] He now owns Club One Casino in Fresno and is president of the California Gaming Association. He founded the Kirkland Foundation, an animal rescue organization, and is board chair of the Fresno Chaffee Zoo Corporation.[1][2][3]

Kirkland ran in the 20th District in 2024 to succeed Kevin McCarthy, receiving 4.9 percent in the March special primary and 4.1 percent in the regular March 5 primary, and did not advance.[1][2] He launched his 2026 campaign against Costa on November 19, 2025, saying that housing, food, gas and health care are expensive because of over-regulation and mismanagement. He finished second in the June 2, 2026 primary with 26.3 percent of the vote, behind Costa's 42.2 percent, and advanced to the general election.[1][2][3]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.