Make California Great Again? Primary race for CA governor heats up
In California, a crowded field of candidates in a wild west jungle primary has made the race for governor exciting and unpredictable, and just two Republican candidates have consistently dominated the scene: Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
Analysis by Summer Lane | April 8, 2026
California was once a dream: epic geographic diversity, a coveted Mediterranean climate, the best farmland in the nation, and perhaps the most beautiful ocean communities in the country.
Unfortunately, the beauty and sparkle of the Golden State have long been muted by corrupt politicians, failed social programs, unregulated immigration policies, and consistently ill-maintained highways (ask any native Californian).
Enter 2026. Outgoing California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom has left the state in far worse shape than when he came into office. Between the highest gas prices in the country (thanks to environmental overregulation), politically fueled droughts, and a massive homelessness and crime problem, California isn’t looking so hot.
In fact, the sky-high cost of living, and, partly, the overreaching Covid-related restrictions during the pandemic (2020 to 2022), have driven millions of people out of the state. According to the Public Policy Institute, 10 million people have left California for other states between 2010 and 2024.
Gov. Newsom may be a poor governor, but the exodus started before him – he just accelerated the process.
Now, with Newsom’s eyes obviously set on netting the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, Californians have an opportunity to, perhaps, reset the tables.
The upcoming June primary – unique in its open, jungle format – could allow two Republicans to go to the general election. Could such a thing happen in “deep blue” California?
It certainly could.
The candidates
Democrats in California are running many candidates – too many. Former Rep. Katie Porter, current Rep. Eric Swalwell, and former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra are just a sampling of the Democrats running for governor. The field has become so crowded, and frankly, so uninteresting, that they are choking their own chances for winning a primary.
As for Republicans, two candidates have emerged as the frontrunners in the race: news personality and political voice Steve Hilton, along with Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
Hilton, originally from England, has experience in politics. He worked for the Conservative Party during the late UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s time in office. He also served as a senior advisor for the former UK Prime Minister David Cameron.
In 2012, he moved to California and has been consistently involved in news and politics ever since, according to his campaign website.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco made waves in 2024 when he openly endorsed President Donald Trump’s re-election bid. He even spoke at the president’s Coachella rally in October 2024, just weeks before Election Day.
As a law enforcement officer, it’s no surprise that his campaign seems heavily centered on restoring law and order to California – a much-needed notion.
Both candidates are a refreshing change to the normal cadre of Democrat politicians, and they have both carved their own political path forward as the primaries draw closer.
A Trump endorsement
This week, President Donald Trump lent his coveted endorsement to Steve Hilton.
“He is a truly fine man, one who has watched as this once great State has gone to Hell,” the president wrote.
He continued, “Gavin Newscum and the Democrats have done an absolutely horrendous job. People are fleeing, crime is increasing, and Taxes are the highest of any State in the Country, maybe the World. Steve can turn it around, before it is too late, and, as President, I will help him to do so! With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before!”
President Trump’s endorsement is often, although not always, the final push a candidate needs to nudge ahead in a political race. “I am honored to receive the endorsement of President Donald J. Trump,” Mr. Hilton said in an email statement shared with LindellTV.
He continued, “California should be the best place in the world to follow your dreams, raise a family, start and grow a business. We have everything we need to lead our country again. But after 16 years of one-party rule, we have the highest poverty rate, highest unemployment rate, and highest cost of living in America.”
In his statement, he noted that he was running to make the state “Califoridable.” Cheeky as it may be, it sticks. The goal? “$3.00 gas, cut your electric bills in half, your first $100,000 tax free, a home you can afford to buy. We’ll do that by putting common sense ahead of ideology, stopping fraud, waste, and abuse in our government, and cleaning up the corruption in Sacramento,” the statement continued.
For Californians, this sounds too good to be true, but it’s nice to hope. And it’s great to see someone at least trying to address the issues plaguing the Golden State.
“I’m grateful for the president’s support. Together, we can turn things around and make California truly Golden Again,” Mr. Hilton stated.
A very tight race
In the wake of the president’s endorsement of Steve Hilton, the race remains considerably tight. A new survey from Evitarus, as of April 5, showed Sheriff Bianco and Hilton locked in a dead heat, with Bianco holding 14 percent against Hilton’s 14 percent. Swalwell trailed at 12 percent.
If both Hilton and Bianco remain top-two contenders, they could both face off in the general election – giving Californians two potential Republican leaders to choose from. This would be a historic twist of fate, and a welcome change from the ironclad uniparty hold in Sacramento.
Following President Trump’s endorsement of Hilton, LindellTV reached out to Sheriff Bianco to get his take on his campaign strategy moving forward in this unique election.
“President Trump made his endorsement,” he said in a video, also posted to X. “That’s his decision, but this race is about the future of California, not any one endorsement. For too long, politicians and insiders from Sacramento to Washington have tried to pick our leaders for us. That’s not leadership. That’s a coronation, and it’s exactly how we ended up with the failed leadership Californians are living with today.”
Bianco remains confident that the fate of California leadership is in the hands of the people alone and took a shot at his opponent while doing so, arguing, “I have been telling you all for over a year, this election is only about Californians, not special interest groups, and definitely not an endorsement. Quite frankly, I have repeatedly said that a Fox News host courting a president’s endorsement will never win in California.”
Bianco also doubled down on his commitment to fighting for law and order, cheaper gas prices, lower taxes, and a lower cost of living. “California is suffering from the worst crime and government corruption in our history. We are tired of the status quo, we need law and order, accountability, common sense, and common ground for the California that we all share,” he said in his video statement.
The race is far from over. President Trump’s endorsement definitely shook things up a little, but right now, both Republican candidates are holding their own in the polls, giving Californians a glimmer of hope in what’s been an otherwise bleak landscape.
Photo: Adobe Stock
