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Steve Hilton stood in San Mateo on primary night, speaking directly to Americans who are fed up with California’s liberal failures and promising, “we will be in the top two” as votes slowly came in. The calm confidence was no accident — Hilton has been running as the change candidate, and he’s telling voters bluntly that the status quo in Sacramento has had its day. To hardworking Californians watching their cities decline, that kind of plain-speaking is refreshing and long overdue.
Donald Trump’s endorsement of Hilton has poured wind into a once-fractured Republican sail, and the establishment’s panic is obvious. When a president as consequential as Trump backs a candidate, voters take notice — it consolidates donors, volunteers, and the grassroots energy that wins elections. Conservatives who want real results should see that endorsement as a signal to rally, not to bicker over purity tests that leftists exploit.
The polling picture has been messy, but that’s the point: the Democrats are divided and Republicans can exploit it. Emerson’s earlier surveys showed Hilton near the top with a clear lane opening after the dust-up in the Democratic field, and even neutral public policy polling has shown voters hungry for a different direction in Sacramento. When Democrats squabble, they hand opportunities to candidates who actually want to fix roads, lower taxes, and stop the crime surge.
The abrupt collapse of one Democratic contender amid scandal reshaped the race and exposed how fragile the left’s bench really is. Eric Swalwell’s withdrawal and the ensuing fallout redistributed votes and breathed new life into Republican chances — a reminder that character and competence still matter to voters when the media can’t paper over failings. Conservatives should not pretend this was a lucky break; it was a consequence of Democrats’ poor vetting and their revolving door of scandal-plagued figures.
Republicans now face a clear choice: unite behind the candidate who can break the Democrats’ chokehold or keep fracturing our vote until California is lost by default. Hilton’s message — pragmatic, pro-growth, and unapologetically pro-American — is the kind of platform that can reach independent Californians tired of high taxes, housing chaos, and lawlessness. If GOP voters want to seize this once-in-a-generation opening, they need to move fast, put aside ego, and deliver on the ground.
This was the urgency behind Hilton speaking in San Mateo as ballots were being counted on June 2: the moment to act is now, not later. Conservatives who sit on their hands or squabble over minor differences will watch another election slip by while activists and leftist interest groups organize full-time. Turnout decides everything in a top-two primary system — show up, bring neighbors, and make sure California finally gets leadership that respects taxpayers and public safety.
