Could a Republican win a general election for governor in deep-blue California? Scratch that — the proper question is this: Could a Republican actually make the general-election ballot for governor in November?
A new poll from Emerson more than suggests that Californians may be ready to explore new options in governance. Not only does new GOP entrant Steve Hilton come in second in their poll for the Golden State’s all-in primary, another Republican sneaks into third place as well:
A new Emerson College Polling survey of California voters finds former Democratic Representative Katie Porter leading the primary for California governor with 18%, followed by Republican political commentator Steve Hilton at 12%, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 7%, and former Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at 5%. A plurality of voters (38%) are undecided.
“With Kamala Harris officially out of the race, Katie Porter has emerged as the Democratic frontrunner, increasing her support from 12% to 18% since the April Emerson poll,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said. “Steve Hilton, who was not in the race in April, has jumped to 12%, while the share of undecided voters has dropped from 54% to 38% over the summer. Porter leads among voters over 50 (22%), those with a postgraduate degree (35%), and white voters (23%).”
Bianco is also a Republican and had his profile raised during the ICE raids and deployment of the National Guard. Bianco blasted Karen Bass and Gavin Newsom for allowing attacks to unfold on federal immigration officers serving judicially approved warrants to detain and deport criminal illegal aliens. Bianco also took on an attempt to criminalize armed self-defense by Democrat legislators earlier this year, blasting AB1333 in March as an effort to further victimize law-abiding Californians while privileging criminals. Bianco called for new leadership in Sacramento at the time:
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has issued a warning regarding the potential passage of California Bill AB1333. He stated that if the bill is approved, Californians may no longer be able to legally protect themselves in certain situations. Bianco explained that under this… pic.twitter.com/webogOrwDf
— Zerx (@Zerxisk) March 8, 2025
“We demand better. We deserve better.” Sounds like Californians may be listening.
Bianco still trails Porter and Hilton, the latter of whom only entered the race a short while ago and already has had an outsize impact. Hilton is a well-known figure on the Right, an emigré who once served as a political strategist for Tory PM David Cameron in the UK, but is better known as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, Fox News host, and Donald Trump supporter. Now try to imagine anyone with that resumé getting a second-place finish in a state-wide political poll in California, and marvel at how times may be changing.
That’s not the only reason this poll suggests disaster ahead for Democrats. Kamala Harris’ exit barely moved the needle for Katie “Batgirl” Porter, who passed on a Senate bid to opt for what looked like an easy ride to the state’s chief executive position. She picked up six points; Hilton picked up twelve points just by tossing his hat in the ring, and Bianco gained three points on top of that. The rest of the field barely budged, with better-known Democrats such as Antonio Villaraigosa languishing at 5%, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis tied with Xavier Becerra at 3%, and not-really-a-Dem Dem Rick Caruso picking up 4% in his first poll.
Since Emerson’s last poll, “undecided” dropped from 54% to 38%. Republican candidates picked up 19 points; Porter picked up six, and no other proper Dems advanced at all.
And this says something about Democrat leadership at the moment, too. Emerson games out the 2028 Democrat presidential nomination in this poll as well, and current governor Gavin Newsom doesn’t exactly clear the field even in his own state:
Looking ahead to the 2028 presidential nomination contest, Governor Gavin Newsom leads the Democratic primary with 23%, followed by former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg at 17%, Vice President Kamala Harris at 11%, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 9%. In the Republican primary, 40% support Vice President JD Vance, 10% support Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, and 9% Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Newsom only beats the most incompetent of the Biden Regency Cabinet in his own state by six points. Hang that one on the wall and admire it for a while.
It’s still nearly a year before California’s all-in midterm primary, so we have a long way to go. It does, however, look like California voters may have gotten fed up with its Democrat monopoly in Sacramento and are at least Republican-curious for the first time in decades. Watch this one very carefully.
Editor’s Note: The Democrat Party has never been less popular as voters reject its globalist agenda.
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