Republican · California's 21st District · 2026
Kyle Kirkland
Kirkland's business career has included pianos and poker: he chaired Steinway Musical Instruments before becoming the owner of Fresno's Club One Casino.
Biography
Kyle Kirkland's career has included pianos, a Fresno casino and animal rescue.1 The former Steinway Musical Instruments chairman owns Club One Casino and founded the Kirkland Foundation, whose work includes helping animals and supporting community programs.1
He graduated from Harvard in economics, worked at Bain & Company and earned an MBA at Stanford.1 His campaign describes arriving in California in 1986 with seven hundred dollars before pursuing finance in Los Angeles.1 He later helped lead Steinway's acquisition and its transition into a publicly traded company.1
Kirkland purchased Club One in 2008 and became president of the California Gaming Association in 2013.1 His community roles include chairing the Fresno Chaffee Zoo Corporation and establishing the foundation's animal welfare programs.1 He advanced from the June congressional primary, finishing among the two finalists in a field of six candidates.2
His campaign favors reducing regulation, increasing domestic production, expanding water storage and improving delivery systems for agriculture.1 He also supports government audits, stronger border enforcement, resources for police and more parental involvement in education.1 Kirkland faces Democratic incumbent Jim Costa in November.2