Former Democratic Party presidential contender Andrew Yang is backing Republican Lanhee Chen for the state office of controller in California and will attend a campaign event in Los Angeles on Thursday evening.

Chen, a 44-year-old Stanford academic who was born on the Fourth of July, was the top finisher in the June 7 primary in the race for controller, whose job is to manage the state’s finances.

Yang left the Democratic Party last fall, after falling short in the primary race for mayor of New York City. He launched his own third party, called the Forward Party.

A statement by the Chen campaign announced the event, as well as Chen’s credentials for the office:

Lanhee Chen is the Director of Domestic Policy Studies and a Lecturer in Public Policy at Stanford University, and is a fellow (on leave) from the Hoover Institution. He also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors at El Camino Health and owns his own small business.

Chen is a leading policy figure whose ideas have appeared in major American newspapers and been shared on leading television networks in the US and around the world. He has helped leaders in California and across America develop solutions to address some of the country’s most pressing fiscal problems—like improving the health care system, saving Social Security, and growing our economy.

After earning four degrees from Harvard, including a law degree and doctorate in political science, Chen served in both Republican and Democratic presidential administrations. He has been an adviser to four Republican presidential campaigns and was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as a member of the bipartisan and independent Social Security Advisory Board.

Chen has also won the endorsement of the Los Angeles Times — a rare achievement for a Republican.