California GOP Set to Endorse Gubernatorial Candidate Amid Trump’s Influence

California Republicans will vote this weekend to endorse their preferred candidate for governor in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. The endorsement vote, scheduled for Sunday at the California GOP’s annual convention in San Diego, comes just one week after President Donald Trump inserted himself into the race by endorsing conservative commentator and former Fox News Channel host Steve Hilton over Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

Trump’s endorsement, widely considered influential in Republican primaries, included a stark assessment of California’s condition, claiming the state had “gone to hell” and that “Steve can turn it around, before it is too late, and, as President, I will help him to do so!”

The endorsement is expected to significantly impact the convention vote, where candidates need support from 60% of delegates to secure the party’s official backing. California Republican Party chairwoman Corrin Rankin acknowledged the potential impact, telling reporters, “I think it definitely can help rally the base behind a candidate and generate some noise and some enthusiasm.”

While Bianco has established himself as a loyal Trump supporter with substantial backing among California Republican insiders, the presidential endorsement of Hilton may prove decisive. Hilton, who served as a top adviser to former British Prime Minister David Cameron before moving to the United States and becoming an American citizen in 2021, has seen his polling numbers rise since receiving Trump’s endorsement.

Bianco, however, appears undeterred. The sheriff, who recently gained national attention for seizing ballots in Riverside County, responded defiantly in a social media video: “For too long, politicians and insiders from Sacramento to Washington have tried to pick our leaders for us. That’s not leadership, that’s a coronation, and it’s exactly how we ended up with the failed leadership Californians are living with today.”

Political analysts suggest Trump’s endorsement may have broader implications for Republican strategy in California. The state uses a nonpartisan primary system where candidates from all parties appear on the same ballot, with the top two finishers advancing to the general election regardless of party affiliation.

Prior to Trump’s endorsement, some Republicans had hoped for a scenario where both Hilton and Bianco could advance to the general election, as they had been leading in some public opinion polls. With support now likely to consolidate behind Hilton, that possibility seems increasingly remote.

“Trump kills any GOP hopes of an R vs R runoff in the California governor’s race,” noted Rob Pyers of California Target Book, a non-partisan political almanac, in a recent social media post.

Hilton himself has dismissed the idea of two Republicans making the general election as unrealistic. “That scenario of two Republicans [making the general election ballot], I’ve been saying this for months, was always a fantasy,” he said during an appearance on Fox Business. “The idea that the Democrat machine in California was just going to hand over the state to two Republicans was never serious.”

He added that the endorsement helps ensure Republican representation in November: “What was more likely was actually…you were going to have two Democrats in the top two and then we’ll have no chance of change. So this really makes sure that we have a Republican in the top two.”

California presents significant challenges for Republican candidates. No Republican has won a statewide election since Arnold Schwarzenegger’s re-election as governor in 2006. Additionally, while Trump’s endorsement may bolster Hilton in the primary, it could potentially become a liability in the general election, where Trump’s approval rating in California currently hovers around the 30% mark.

As the June primary approaches, the weekend’s endorsement vote will provide a crucial indicator of whether the California Republican Party will unite behind Trump’s chosen candidate or chart an independent course in their uphill battle to reclaim the governor’s mansion.