Former President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind conservative commentator Steve Hilton in California’s gubernatorial race, potentially reshaping the dynamics of a contest featuring more than 50 candidates vying to lead the nation’s largest state.
In a post on Truth Social late Sunday evening, Trump described Hilton as someone he has known for years, calling him “a truly fine man” who could address the state’s notoriously high tax burden. The former president criticized California’s current condition, writing that the state “has gone to hell.”
“With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before!” Trump wrote in his endorsement.
The timing of Trump’s backing — approximately one month before mail-in ballots reach voters ahead of the June 2 primary — could help Hilton unite conservative voters in a contest lacking a clear frontrunner. Yet Trump’s support may prove problematic for Hilton if he advances to face a Democratic opponent in November, given the former president’s poor standing among California voters outside his conservative base.
Democratic strategists have worried that California’s unique “top two” primary format could result in two Republicans advancing to the general election — potentially Hilton and his GOP competitor Chad Bianco, who serves as Riverside County sheriff. Trump’s endorsement may reduce this possibility by helping Hilton attract more conservative support and clarify the Republican field.
The massive candidate field includes eight prominent Democrats alongside the two leading Republican contenders, Hilton and Bianco. California’s primary system places all candidates on a single ballot, with only the top two vote-getters moving forward to November regardless of party affiliation, making an all-Republican general election theoretically possible.
A February survey conducted by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California showed the race had separated into two tiers, with Bianco, Hilton, and three Democratic candidates — Congressman Eric Swalwell, former Representative Katie Porter, and billionaire environmental advocate Tom Steyer — running competitively at the top, while other contenders lagged behind.
