LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� President Donald Trump has endorsed Republican for California governor, reordering a crowded, wide-open race to lead the nation’s most populous state.
Trump posted late Sunday on his social media platform Truth Social that he has known Hilton for years and called the conservative commentator 鈥渁 truly fine man鈥� who could turn around a state beset with notoriously high taxes. California, Trump wrote, 鈥渉as gone to hell.鈥�
鈥淲ith Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before!鈥� Trump added.
The endorsement 鈥� coming about a month before mail ballots go to voters in advance of the June 2 primary 鈥� will help Hilton coalesce conservative support in a race However, Trump is widely unpopular in heavily Democratic California outside his conservative base and Trump’s backing would become a liability if Hilton faces a Democrat in the November election.
With a large field, Democrats have been fearful that a quirk in the state’s unusual 鈥渢op two鈥� primary system could to reach the November general election ballot 鈥� Hilton and GOP rival the Riverside County sheriff. Trump’s decision 鈥� a strong signal to undecided conservative voters 鈥� will make that outcome less likely by helping Hilton lure additional support.
Democratic consultant Paul Mitchell called Trump’s decision 鈥渢he safe bet鈥� for Republicans. Rather than cling to a long shot hope that both Republicans reach the November ballot 鈥� or risk that both Hilton and Bianco fall short 鈥� Trump’s blessing should consolidate support behind Hilton and allow him to emerge from a large primary field and reach November.
鈥淗aving a Republican on the top of the ticket is essential鈥� to drive turnout in critical down-ballot races, with control of the U.S. House in play,鈥� Mitchell added. In an unpredictable, wide-open race, the smart play for the GOP is to 鈥済et one Republican on the ballot.鈥�
There are more than 50 candidates on 鈥� including eight established Democrats and along with Hilton and Bianco, the two leading Republicans. An all-GOP general election is possible in California, which puts all candidates on one primary ballot and only the top two vote-getters advance to November, regardless of party.
Polling in early February by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found the field had broken into two distinct groups, with Bianco, Hilton and three Democrats 鈥� U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, former Rep. Katie Porter and billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer 鈥� in close competition, with other candidates trailing.
In a statement, Hilton, who hosted a Fox 海角社区app show for six years and worked as an adviser to former British prime minister David Cameron, thanked Trump for his support and promised to grow jobs and bring down the state’s punishing cost of living. 鈥淭ogether we can turn things around,鈥� Hilton said.
Republicans have not won a statewide election in California in two decades. Registered Democratic voters outnumber Republicans in the state by nearly 2-to-1.
Bianco 鈥� Hilton’s chief GOP rival 鈥� said in a video posted on X that 鈥淭his race is about the future of California, not any one endorsement.鈥� He also posted a photo of Hilton hugging outgoing Democratic Gov. Gavin 海角社区appom at a 2016 charity event.
鈥淚 have repeatedly said that a Fox 海角社区app host courting a president’s endorsement will never win in California,鈥� Bianco said in the video.
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