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So much has changed since last week.

In the California’s governor’s race, leading Democrat Party candidate Eric Swalwell is out, and leftist billionaire Tom Steyer has taken his place (see the latest polls).

Meanwhile, it seems mostly-conservative Republican Steve Hilton is getting nearly twice as much support as mostly-conservative Republican Chad Bianco. Yet this is a missed opportunity and a mathematical mistake of conservatives following their feelings, not facts.

Because asking “Who’s better — Hilton or Bianco?” is the wrong question. For now is not the time to pit them against each other. Save that for a hoped-for general election that decides which mostly-conservative Republican will become California’s next governor.

For if Bianco and Hilton are the top two vote-getters in California’s “jungle” primary election, only they will advance to the November runoff — guaranteeing a Republican governor (California’s “top two” primary election method has been in effect since 2012).

In contrast, if Hilton and Democrat Steyer are the top two, you can bet that Steyer — who’s actually to the left of Gavin Newsom — will be California’s next Democrat Party governor. Because most Californians are still lost and foolish, maintaining a reliable “blue state.”

So, if California conservatives want a mostly conservative governor, who will veto evil bills and “destroy the house of Ahab” (Newsom’s big administration “leaders” and their bad employees), the clear opportunity is to help both Bianco and Hilton get into the “top two” when voting begins in May. If conservatives want this, it can still be done.

But without this desire and focus, Bianco doesn’t currently seem to enjoy enough support to win second place (President Trump’s endorsement of Hilton hurt Bianco’s chances), which would probably mean we get the most leftist Democrat Party governor yet — Tom Steyer. Based on these facts, how will you encourage your family and friends to vote?

“Two Republicans are fighting for California governor. Why a tie is their best strategy,” CalMatters, April 2, 2026:

California Republicans have an unusual shot of claiming an upset victory in the governor’s race this year — but to win, neither of their candidates can get too far ahead of the other just yet.

With eight major Democratic candidates splitting the liberal vote, both Republican candidates, former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, could come in first and second in the June 2 primary and move on to the November ballot.

That would shut out Democratic general election candidates, an extraordinary event that pollsters and strategists of both parties agree is the only viable chance for a Republican to become governor. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly two-to-one in California and the GOP hasn’t won a statewide race in two decades.

Both Republicans can only advance to November if they split the Republican vote essentially evenly, giving each enough to surpass their Democratic opponents. That’s thanks to California’s top-two primary system, in which the two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election regardless of their party.