The Republican Party of California voted on Sunday not to issue an endorsement in the upcoming governor’s race as two GOP candidates duke it out for the top spot and seek to potentially claim a slot in the November election.
Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host and populist conservative, had won Donald Trump’s endorsement one week ago Sunday. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that Hilton would receive “federal help” in making the state of California “better than ever before,” a signal that he was promising the state a close alliance with the administration if Hilton won.
But even with Hilton outpacing his closest Republican rival in polling and securing the president’s support, he was unable to gather enough delegates to the state party convention on his side before Sunday’s vote. As a result, both Hilton and Sheriff Chad Bianco failed to win the party’s endorsement.
It’s a blow that will hinder Hilton as he argues that Republicans should consolidate behind his campaign. He’s leading every other challenger in most polling, but Bianco remains highly competitive and neither candidate is running away with the vote ahead of the June nonpartisan primary. Two candidates, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the general election.
Though Trump’s endorsement was only issued a week ago, if Hilton fails to pull ahead in the weeks to come, it could well be a sign that Donald Trump’s ability to decide Republican Party primary races with his endorsement has been lessened, or lost entirely.
He and Bianco are bost being boosted by the collapse of the Democratic field, which has stunned political observers nationwide.
Rep. Katie Porter was widely viewed as having torpedoed her campaign after getting angry and lashing out at a reporter over questions about her campaign strategy, an incident that occurred amid other reports of her allegedly abusive behavior towards staff.
Meanwhile, Rep. Eric Swalwell is facing calls to drop out from former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats who withdrew their endorsements this weekend after a former staffer came forward and alleged to CNN that she was raped by the congressman. The House is likely to debate his expulsion this coming week.
Swalwell firmly denied the accusation in a statement put out on X.
In years past, Republicans have harbored no illusions about the power of Trump’s support. Candidates for various races often make pilgrimages to the president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where they make their respective cases for his endorsement. One famous “Apprentice-like” scene played out in 2022 as candidates for the Republican nomination for Senate in Ohio met with Trump and pitched him one by one on their respective credentials. That race famously ended in J.D. Vance winning the endorsement and later the seat itself after the president boosted him to victory in the Republican primary.
With Trump back in the White House and his approval rating hitting record lows over issues including the war in Iran and persistently high consumer prices, the strength of Trump’s endorsement could well be afflicted by a level of voter fatigue not seen in past cycles.
In Louisiana, Trump’s endorsement is being put to the test, which will illuminate whether that is true. The president has endorsed against sitting Republican senator Bill Cassidy, in favor of Julia Letlow, a Republican member of the House. Polling does not yet show a clear picture of the race, with surveys commissioned by the two candidates showing significantly different results.
In Texas, both Sen. John Cornyn and Republican state attorney general Ken Paxton have publicly sought the president’s endorsement, while Senate GOP leadership has repeatedly begged him to stay out of it. As a result, the president has indicated his favor towards both men, who are now competing in a May runoff.
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