In his 2011 memoir The Garner Files, James dished on Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, two notable Hollywood Republicans. As quoted in Variety:
“In my opinion, Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn’t qualified to be governor of California. Ronald Reagan wasn’t qualified to be governor, let alone president.”
Also in his memoir, James recounts being approached about running for U.S. Congress as a Republican in 1962.
“It didn’t stop them when I told them I was a Democrat…. They just thought I could win.”
He was again approached about running for office, this time for Governor of California in 1990, and again turned the opportunity down.
“There’s one difference between me and [Schwarzenegger and Reagan]: I know I’m not qualified.”
I guess it depends on the meaning of “qualified” to paraphrase an old Garner favorite, “Bill” Clinton.
Jack “Bart Maverick” Kelly (1927-1992) was a just a year old than Garner. Kelly was a Republican and for a time the nonpartisan mayor of Huntington Beach, CA.