Meet one of your new California Republican Party candidates for Governor. Please note this is one of the finalists, who was officially introduced to the party at a GOP function as a candidate.

Glenn Champ, 48, addressed hundreds of GOP delegates and supporters Sunday at the site of the state party’s semi-annual convention. Introduced by party chairman Jim Brulte and allotted 10 minutes, Champ spoke in between the main GOP candidates, former U.S. Treasury official Neel Kashkari and state Assemblyman Tim Donnelly of San Bernardino County.

Champ, a little-known political neophyte from the Fresno County community of Tollhouse, did not directly mention his criminal past during his speech but said, “In my life, I’ve been held accountable because of my stupidity. I do not want anyone else to be enslaved because of their lack of knowledge.”

Champ’s rap sheet is lengthy. Court records show that in 1992, he pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed firearm. In 1993, he was convicted of two counts of assault with intent to commit rape and as a result was placed on the state’s sex-offender registry.

In March 1998, he accepted a plea deal on a charge of loitering to solicit a prostitute; later that year, he pleaded no contest to a voluntary manslaughter charge after hitting a man with his vehicle, for which he was sentenced to 12 years in state prison, according to court records.

But you see, that is all in the past now, because he found Jesus!

Champ said the assault case “was just for picking up some underage prostitutes” and resulted in a 90-day jail sentence. He said he turned his life around after the incident.

“I found the Lord when I got arrested for picking up the prostitutes,” Champ said. “I was like most people, ignorant in the darkness, in the very dark. I had no peace, had no love, had no joy. And now I do. Praise God for that…. I’ve grown considerably since I met Christ.”

More: GOP Candidate for Governor Is a Registered Sex Offender

Going to Champ’s own website, you can be treated to a truly amazing amount of Tea Party wingnut nonsense, full of bad grammar, hyperbole and religious zealotry.

champforgovernor.com

For example:

CHAMP represents a new breed of Christian soldier moving forward in the army of the lord, on the highway of righteousness, stomping on the devil’s head, with a new song of righteousness’s in our hearts. Amen. As a man of God, he is going back to fix the crooked places that have led to our current catastrophe. There is a parallel to our spirituality and our nations prosperity. God has sent a deliverer, CHAMP to lead the way back to righteousness and prosperity.

and:

CHAMP does not support same sex marriage but views them as misled people with past issues that have not been dealt with in a Biblical manner, nor does he support womb abortions 99.9% of the time. As a man of God and an Evangelical Christian believer, CHAMP’s faith “compels me to support Biblical traditional family values”. The gubernatorial candidate opposed what he called, ” ungodly legislation drafted by demonic terrorist extremists own agenda”, that refuse to follow the Biblical or constitution guide lines. This will involve a total overhaul of court house, school house, and church house!

And of course…

I use my second amendment right, NOT BURY THEM!

This from a convicted felon who is legally prohibited from owning firearms.

Well done, California GOP. Well done.

Gubernatorial candidate Glenn Champ’s #CAGOP14 booth: pic.twitter.com/Q8Qp4P4JLs

— Josh Richman (@Josh_Richman) March 14, 2014