() Politicians come in all shapes and sizes. Still, Dick Lucas of California has to be the farthest thing from what many might expect.

Lucas last month announced he was running for State Assembly. In a post on X, he spotlighted the red tape stopping the government’s ability to fix the cost of living, wildfires that rage across the state, and the homelessness crisis.

Lucas told “On Balance” he is neither a Republican nor a Democrat, despite the fact that his district is known for being a Democratic stronghold.

“That’s by design,” he said Tuesday. “I don’t want to go with the party labels right now. I want to focus on the issues.”

“I don’t want people’s eyes to roll into the back of their head. As soon as you say the party, they’re either with you or against you. Frankly, I think both sides have good ideas. I don’t like to subscribe to either or.”

Lucas acknowledged that Republicans seem to be more open to his message, and that no Democrats have reached out. Despite that, he emphatically says he wants to work for the “California people.”

“You don’t hear enough from about ‘I’m going to stay in this state, stay in this country, I’m going to fight to make it as great as possible.’ Frankly, on the country level, there’s nowhere else to go. If I can move to California, I can have a great impact on our country.”

Lucas says he’s not in favor of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s idea of redistricting in an attempt to put more Democratic congressional seats.

“My belief on gerrymandering is that both sides are guilty of doing things that help their party win. But as far as I can tell, it’s not constitutional.”

“I don’t think Gavin can do this. I think it’s against the California Constitution. So I don’t think he can do this from a legal standpoint. I think it’s a lot of posturing.”