Republican candidate Steve Hilton got some shout-outs from the world’s most powerful people just hours before polls close Tuesday night in California’s primary.
Hilton, who is running for governor, is jostling to be in the top two after tonight’s results in order to advance to the November general election against Democrats Xavier Becerra, a former Health and Human Services chief, and Tom Steyer, a billionaire. Polls show the three in a tight race while other contenders trail.
The Republican political commentator received high praise in the early morning hours from President Donald Trump, who endorsed him back in April.
“Vote today for Steve Hilton for Governor,” Trump urged to California voters on Truth Social.
The president promised that California’s relationship with his White House — currently contentious under term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom — would vastly improve for the state’s benefit.
“He will work with me and the Federal Government, the money will flow because I have confidence in him (but not any of the others!)” Trump said. “We will MAKE CALIFORNIA GREAT AGAIN. Steve Hilton will NEVER let you down.”
California has been in a battle with the Trump administration, who has withheld federal funding and other resources for various reasons. For example, $1.3 billion in federal Medicaid funding was frozen due to fraud concerns with the state’s hospice agencies.
When Trump first announced his endorsement of Hilton, he called the candidate “a truly fine man” that would turn around the state’s horrible direction under “Newscum.”
Hilton also got a statement of support at 8:13 a.m. from Vice President JD Vance, who wished him “good luck.”
“He’s a good guy and I encourage everyone to get out there and support him,” Vance wrote on X. “California is such a beautiful state — it just needs better political leadership!”
The vice president was referring to the Democratic Party’s one-party rule of the state. Republicans have not won a statewide election since 2006, when Arnold Schwarzenegger was reelected governor.
As voters go to the booths, Hilton’s number one concern has been to shore up the Republican base as much as possible, and Trump’s support Tuesday could be seen as an attempt to remind GOP voters to coalesce behind Hilton.
Hilton has trained his attacks recently on rival GOP candidate Chad Bianco, a county sheriff. Hilton continues to plead to Bianco, who is polling lower, to drop out, though Bianco and supporters remain defiant.
One recent poll shows the possibility of Steyer and Becerra both being in the top two after Tuesday night, meaning Republicans would be locked out of the general election. That would be disastrous, Hilton said.
“Break glass moment for Republicans,” he said Saturday. “Republicans MUST unite now to ensure Californians have a real choice for change in November.”