After GOP love fest, Bianco says Hilton’s Trump endorsement makes him unelectable in CA

The top two Republican contenders for governor engaged in a love fest for most of Friday evening political forum, with the moderator even praising the civility.

Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco agreed on nearly everything, playing the hits to a hyper-partisan GOP crowd in Clovis. Hosted by the Fresno County and City Republican Women Federated, the two candidates joked how much they agreed with each other.

The problem? Democrats. Gavin Newsom. Hilton quipped Newsom is “the great loaded diaper.”

The solution: Eliminate taxes and regulations and outright eliminate most boards or fire the board members.

Whether it was crime, immigration, or transgender athletes, there was no difference in the viewpoints of Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff, and Hilton, a former Fox News commentator.

Then, Bianco pointed out a key difference during closing statements.

“While Steve should rightfully be proud, rightfully be proud of being endorsed by President Trump,” Bianco said, “we have to actually realize, is that a good thing in California?”

While the crowd cheered, Bianco said he can draw independents and Democrats to vote for him. Hilton cannot because of Trump.

“There’s not a Democrat strategist in the state or a Republican strategist in the state that believes that a Democrat is going to cross party lines to support President Trump, and this is absolutely no offense, because I love Steve. They’re not going to support a candidate supported by a president who used to be a Fox News host,” Bianco said.

Approximately 500 people attended the event at the Regency Center.

Bianco critical post-forum

After the forum, Bianco let the civility slide in an interview with The Fresno Bee.

First, he pointed out differences in experience.

“I’m the law enforcement leader that is not only going to tell you, I’m going to do it. He can’t compete with that. He has nothing in his past to show you what he’s going to do. I mean, it’s unfortunate. I’m not saying that to be mean. I’m saying it is an absolute fact,” Bianco said.

Bianco also criticized Hilton’s past as a political consultant and for calling himself a small businessman.

“Show us a business. There isn’t one. He’s a career politician strategist in England that failed in England, so he came to America, and now he wants to save California. He’s got nothing in his past that shows he can. Everything in my past says that I can, so he has to attack me, basically, because he can’t raise himself up. It’s politics, bad politics, 101,” Bianco said.

“He is losing, so he is lashing out,” HIlton said when asked for a rebuttal.

Before the forum, Hilton told The Bee that he believes it is likely only one Republican will advance in California’s top-two primary system.

“The other Republican in the race doesn’t have the ability to get into the top two. This is the only hope for California to get the change they really need,” Hilton said.

Bianco called polls showing he is losing support, “fake.”

Saturday, top Democratic candidates Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer are scheduled for Central Valley appearances. Becerra holds a get out the vote event at 12:30 p.m. in Fresno, with Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister. Steyer is scheduled for events in Lemoore in the morning, and plans to canvas in Fresno in the late afternoon.

The primary election concludes June 2. Mail-in ballots started arriving at the beginning of this month.