Steve Hilton Urges Chad Bianco To Exit California Governor Race As GOP Fears Split Vote
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is intensifying pressure on fellow Republican Chad Bianco to abandon California’s governor race, warning that a divided conservative vote could hand Democrats both spots in the November general election.
With only days remaining before Tuesday’s primary, Hilton argued the race has effectively narrowed to a fierce three-way battle for two general election slots under California’s top-two primary system.
“It’s a very, very tight race,” Hilton said in a social media post. “There’s basically three people competing for two spots in the general election.”
The former Fox News host warned conservatives that failure to unite behind a single Republican candidate could produce what he described as a political disaster for the state.
“We could have Tom Steyer and Xavier Becerra in the general election,” Hilton said. “That is a disaster for California.”
Hilton escalated his appeal by directly calling on Bianco to suspend his campaign immediately.
“ONE MAN can stop the Doomsday Scenario!” Hilton wrote. “Chad, the best time to drop out was two weeks ago. The second best is now…”
Hilton also argued that major Republican priorities, including voter ID initiatives and broader conservative ballot efforts, could suffer if Republicans fail to secure a spot in the governor’s race.
He warned that GOP candidates further down the ballot could face political fallout if Democrats dominate the top of the ticket.
The renewed push comes after a new California Post poll released Friday showed an unexpectedly tight contest near the top of the field.
According to the survey, Hilton and billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer were tied for first place with 25% support each.
Former Biden administration official Xavier Becerra followed in third place with 19%.
Bianco placed fourth with 10%, while Katie Porter received 7% support and Matt Mahan registered 6%.
The poll was conducted between May 26 and May 28 and carried a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.