Rallying Republicans around his bid for California governor didn’t stop Steve Hilton from picking sides in a race that’s divided the GOP.
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The former Fox News commentator, who waged his own intraparty fight against Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to advance to November’s general election, waded into another Republican-versus-Republican battle by endorsing Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, in the 40th Congressional District race.
“Congressman Ken Calvert has been a strong and consistent fighter for California’s job creators, entrepreneurs, and innovators for decades,” Hilton said in a news release issued Monday, July 6.
“I’m proud to endorse him in the 40th Congressional District because we need leaders in Washington who understand how to grow our economy, bring down costs, and make life more affordable.”
In the same release, Calvert said: “Steve Hilton knows exactly what it takes to get California back on track, and I’m honored to have his support … I look forward to working alongside Steve to bring back common sense, restore our economy, and make our state more affordable.”
Kim’s campaign did not immediately respond Tuesday, July 7, to a request for comment.
Hilton knows the importance of an endorsement, having benefitted from President Donald Trump backing him over Bianco in the gubernatorial primary. The Republican president has not endorsed anyone in the race for the 40th.
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Calvert and Rep. Young Kim, R-Anaheim Hills, will face off in November for an open seat representing parts of Orange and Riverside counties. No Democrat got enough votes in the June primary to make the general election in the 40th.
With a solid plurality of registered Republican voters, the 40th is a bright spot for the GOP in an otherwise dismal map created by Proposition 50, a successful 2025 ballot measure that redrew California’s congressional districts to favor Democrats.
As a result, Calvert and Kim — both forced to find a new post-Proposition 50 district to stay in Congress — have waged a fierce, expensive and often nasty fight for the seat, with Calvert questioning Kim’s loyalty to Trump and Kim rehashing Calvert’s decades-old encounter with a prostitute.
Calvert got 35% of the vote, compared to Kim’s 21% in last month’s primary.
Hilton’s endorsement comes as he tries to unify his own party ahead of his November matchup with Democrat Xavier Becerra in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Recently, the Riverside County Republican Party, which supported Bianco in the primary, announced its endorsement of Hilton, who is an underdog against Becerra.
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