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Donald Trump has endorsed the Republican former Fox News host Steve Hilton in the California governor’s race, a move that could dash Republican hopes of locking Democrats out of the November runoff.
Trump announced his backing on Monday on Truth Social, writing that Hilton “has my COMPLETE & TOTAL ENDORSEMENT” and pledging federal support for his candidacy. “Steve can turn it around, before it is too late, and, as President, I will help him to do so,” he wrote.
Hilton, 50, is a dual British-American citizen who served as director of strategy to former prime minister David Cameron before leaving Downing Street in 2012 and moving to California. He later became a Fox News host before launching his campaign for governor.
The endorsement complicates a delicate Republican strategy built around the state’s jungle primary system, in which the top two finishers on 3 June advance to November regardless of party. With Hilton and his main Republican rival, the Riverside county sheriff, Chad Bianco, running neck and neck with three leading Democrats – congressman Eric Swalwell, former congresswoman Katie Porter and billionaire activist Tom Steyer – Republicans had hoped the two conservatives could split the vote evenly enough to squeeze both into the runoff.
In a March poll by the state’s Democratic party, Hilton held the lead with likely voters at 16%, followed by Republican Bianco at 14%. Swalwell, Porter and Steyer were in a dead heat at 10% each, according to the poll.
Rob Pyers, a political data analyst at California Target Book, said the endorsement would probably free up tens of millions of dollars for Democratic groups that had been preparing to spend heavily to boost one Republican candidate, which has been a tried-and-true strategic move Democrats have deployed in previous cycles to avoid a general election shutout.
Despite having said he would welcome Trump’s support, Hilton told Politico last week that the two had not discussed the race. “I’d be honored to have the president’s endorsement, but I think the California governor’s race is close to the last thing on his mind right now,” he said.
His platform, which he calls “Califordable”, focuses on lowering the cost of living. In a weekend interview with California Politics 360, he promised to bring gas prices down to $3 a gallon, halve energy costs through deregulation and scrap state income tax for Californians earning $100,000 or less. He has also proposed restricting Medi-Cal coverage for undocumented immigrants and launched a volunteer anti-fraud initiative he calls “Cal Doge”, claiming waste and fraud in state programs has cost taxpayers more than $430bn over five years.
Hilton, who is skeptical of regulating AI and tech, also does not believe children under 16 years old should own a smartphone.
While a solidly blue state, California is not no man’s land for Republicans in statewide office. The last Republican to run California was Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was in office for two terms from 2003 to 2011.
The endorsement arrives days before California Republican delegates convene in San Diego this weekend to vote on whether to make their own official endorsement in the race, but Trump’s involvement may now alter that calculation.
Early voting for the state’s primary is set to begin 23 May and will close on 2 June.
