Published On 4/6/2026
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Last update: 17:05 (Mecca time)
Amid a crowded race featuring more than 60 candidates for California governor, an unusual name is popping up on the ballots: “The Barack D. Obama Show.”
The 56-year-old is not the former US president, but rather a black American who decided more than a decade ago to legally change his name, influenced by what Barack Obama represented to an entire generation that grew up believing that the White House “is not a place for people who look like him.”
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Obama said that the idea of a black president coming to power seemed “impossible” during his youth.
“When Obama appeared, it was not just about politics or the presidency, but about the hope he created before he became president,” he added.
He continued that people began to compare him to Obama because of the way he spoke and his speeches, before he decided in 2013 to officially change his name.
“I wasn’t looking for a famous name, I was looking for a message,” he explained. “I wanted people to know who I was just by hearing my name.”
Obama, who has worked in music, entertainment and real estate, also served in the US Army during Barack Obama’s presidency, and says that period changed his outlook on leadership and politics.
He added, “I was standing in the army with Obama’s picture in front of me as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. For me, it was proof that the impossible can happen.” Despite his campaign’s weak funding compared to the major candidates, Obama believes in his chances of winning, stressing that even if other politicians have money, advertising and support, Barack Obama’s name on the ballot “means something great to voters.”
“I’m a tenant like millions of people.”
Obama presents himself as a candidate who is experiencing the same crises that Californians are experiencing, from the housing crisis, high rents, high cost of living, and others.
“I’m a renter like millions of people here, and I sometimes use buses like them. When people talk to me, they don’t need to explain their suffering, because I live it,” he added. He makes eliminating homelessness a top priority in a state with the largest homeless population in the United States.
He believes that the solution is not only through laws or pressure on the wealthy, but rather through “creating incentives” that allow housing construction and turning renters into homeowners.
Obama entered politics in 2022 after he decided to run for mayor of Alameda.
On Tuesday, the state of California witnessed primary elections for the position of governor of the state, and the general elections are scheduled to be held on November 3, 2026.
The state, which extends along the west coast of the United States, is known for its Democratic leanings, as the number of Democrats outnumbers the number of Republicans in the state by nearly double.
Since 2011, no Republican has served as governor, or any statewide office.
