Sinclair married again in 1913; his bride was Mary Craig Kimbrough. The same year, he returned to the United States, continued to write, and remained politically active. In 1915, he moved to California where he continued his writing and attempted to establish a political career. In 1923, he founded the Southern California branch of the American Civil Liberties Union.
He was the socialist candidate for one of California's seats in the House of Representatives in 1920. Two years later, on the same ticket, he was unsuccessful in his attempt to become a U.S. senator. Three times he ran for governor of California: 1926, 1930, and 1934. His most nearly successful attempt was the only time he ran on the democratic ticket (1934). His platform became known as the EPIC (End Poverty in California) plan. He had an early lead in the polls, but Sinclair had alienated himself from the powers in Hollywood because he criticized their methods and because he was seen as a communist. This prompted an organized effort by production studios, led by MGM Pictures, to defeat Sinclair.
Sinclair's switch from socialist to left-wing democrat was a gradual change. Before the United States' involvement in World War I, Sinclair alienated himself from many of his colleagues because, unlike most American socialists, he favored America's entry into the war, mostly because of the German occupation of France. Later he resigned from the Socialist Party when the official position became one of pacifism. His reaction to socialism mirrored his reaction to organized religion — belief in the ideals but not in the execution of those ideals.
