President Donald Trump last week endorsed Republican Steve Hilton for California’s next governor. State Republicans think they may know better.
The state GOP on Sunday decided not to endorse either Republican candidate for governor, a surprising rebuke of Trump’s choice.
More party delegates voted for Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, but not enough to reach the 60 percent needed to secure an endorsement. Bianco received 49 percent support; Hilton drew 44 percent.
The sheriff chalked up the undecided result as a win, he told KCRA.
“It shouldn’t have been near that close. The noise from this room, it was obvious it was not going to be close and then, it was,” he said. “We’re very confident we’ll be occupying the governor’s office in January.”
Hilton still holds the lead in polling and has Trump’s endorsement, which he noted on social media. “Now it’s time to get behind the candidate with the endorsement that matters, President Trump’s!” Hilton said.
In the latest polls, Hilton has consistently led the pack, hovering around 16 to 22 percent across all voters. Bianco has at times come second or third to Hilton, hovering around 10 to 14 percent.
While many predicted Trump’s endorsement would funnel Republican support toward Hilton, Sunday’s result complicates that narrative.
It also increases the chances of a Democratic nightmare coming true: where due to a crowded Democratic field, the June primary sees both Hilton and Bianco getting the most votes and therefore locking out Democrats from the general election.
Both Hilton and Bianco have not been afraid to take swipes at each other.
Bianco has stirred up drama on how quickly Hilton obtained his citizenship, for example. He even denounced Trump’s endorsement.
“For too long, politicians and insiders from Sacramento to Washington have tried to pick our leaders for us,” Bianco said on social media. “That’s not leadership. That’s a coronation.”
Hilton has dismissed Bianco with his lower polling status and taken swipes at some of the sheriff’s policies, including on immigration.
