California Republican Party won't endorse a candidate for governor

Republican delegates were split down the middle on who to support in California's gubernatorial race, as neither of the GOP candidates earned the party's endorsement weeks before the state's primary is set to begin.

Over 1,000 California Republican delegates gathered in San Diego at the party's three-day convention on Sunday, April 12, to determine if it would support Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco or Fox News commentator Steve Hilton. In recent weeks, both Republican candidates have been leading in multiple polls.

"Neither candidate for Governor was able to reach the 60% threshold to earn the endorsement of the California Republican Party," the party posted on social media about the convention.

USA TODAY reached out to the California Republican Party for comment but had not heard back at the time of publication.

Notably, a week prior to the event, President Donald Trump endorsed Hilton for the governor's seat, saying in a Truth Social post that Hilton "is a truly fine man, one who has watched as this once great State has gone to Hell."

But it appears that Trump's endorsement ultimately did not help Hilton win over enough delegates. By the end of the convention, Bianco earned about 49% of the delegate support, with Hilton collecting about 44%; both were far below the required threshold.

The lack of a decision came as a surprise to Bianco. "It shouldn't have even been that close," he told a KCRA 3 reporter after the votes were counted. Ultimately, Bianco wasn't concerned, saying he believed he would win a spot on this year's gubernatorial ballot for the November general election.

Hilton, on the other hand, saw the blocking of an endorsement for his opponent as a win and told ABC10 that his campaign has made "progress" over the last few weeks.

The news came as Rep. Eric Swalwell's announced he was suspending his campaign for California governor after several women accused him of sexual assault and misconduct.

The congressman is also reportedly under investigation in Manhattan and announced on April 13 that he will be resigning from Congress.

Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA Today. Contact him at [email protected], follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social. Sign up for the TODAY Californian newsletter or follow us on Facebook at TODAY Californian.