In a notable display of internal division, the California Republican Party concluded its convention on Sunday without endorsing a candidate for governor. This decision came despite former President Donald Trump's explicit endorsement of former Fox News host Steve Hilton, highlighting a rift between the state party apparatus and the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
Delegate Vote Falls Short of Threshold
The party announced on the social platform X that "neither candidate for Governor was able to reach the 60% threshold to earn the endorsement of the California Republican Party." According to a graphic released by the party, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco received support from 496 delegates, while Steve Hilton garnered 442. Seventy-five delegates voted for a non-endorsement, ensuring neither candidate could secure the supermajority required.
This non-endorsement represents a significant rebuff to Trump, who had publicly backed Hilton earlier this month. In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Hilton as "a truly fine man" and launched a characteristic broadside against Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, whom he derisively referred to as "Gavin Newscum." Trump blamed Newsom and state Democrats for California's problems, stating the state "has gone to Hell" with high crime, high taxes, and population flight.
Turmoil Extends to Democratic Primary
The Republican indecision coincides with upheaval in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. Representative Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) suspended his campaign on Sunday, just days after reports surfaced alleging he had sexually assaulted a staffer. In a statement on X, Swalwell said, "I am suspending my campaign for Governor... I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I've made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that's my fight, not a campaign's." This sudden withdrawal dramatically reshapes the Democratic field in the open race to succeed the term-limited Newsom.
The California GOP's failure to unite behind a candidate underscores the persistent challenges the party faces in the deep-blue state, where it holds no statewide offices and is vastly outnumbered in the legislature. The split between the Bianco and Hilton factions suggests competing visions for the party's future, with Bianco representing a more traditional law-and-order conservative profile and Hilton aligning closely with Trump's brand of politics.
Trump's endorsement has become a powerful, though not always decisive, force in Republican primaries nationwide. His involvement in the California race follows a pattern of demanding loyalty from party figures while frequently engaging in public feuds, such as his ongoing disputes with California's Democratic leadership. His criticism of Newsom is part of a longstanding, bitter rivalry.
The party's non-endorsement leaves both Republican candidates to campaign without the official state party's financial and organizational resources ahead of the March 5 primary. The winner will face an uphill battle in the general election against the eventual Democratic nominee in a state that has not elected a Republican governor since 2006.
This development occurs against a backdrop of Trump's unconventional political maneuvers, which have recently included using fast-food deliveries to promote policy and making aggressive foreign policy moves, like enforcing a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz after the collapse of talks with Iran. The California GOP's decision indicates that even Trump's direct influence has limits within certain party structures, setting the stage for a contentious and fragmented primary season.
