Republican gubernatorial nominee Steve Hilton has promised that, if elected governor of California, he would appoint a Democrat to the U.S. Senate should a vacancy arise in one of the states two seats.
According to WND, Hilton, a former Fox News host, made the commitment during an interview published Friday with Pod Save America host Jon Lovett, a program closely aligned with the Democratic Partys progressive wing. Hiltons campaign did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundations request for comment on the pledge, which has raised eyebrows among conservatives who expect a Republican governor to counterbalance Californias entrenched left-wing political establishment.
You said voters shouldnt decide the election based on who they hate in Washington, Lovett said. One role of the governor is filling Senate vacancies.
Oh, my goodness, Hilton chuckled. So, Adam Schiff is frog-marched to Guantanamo Theres an unexpected vacancy in the Senate, Lovett continued. Would you pledge to nominate a Democrat given that the two seats currently held were voted for
Yes, Hilton said. You would? Lovett reacted.
Yeah, yeah. Its crazy, I mean, I just think you have to honor the vote that people took, Hilton responded, signaling he would preserve the states current partisan balance in the Senate despite running as the Republican alternative to one-party rule in Sacramento. President Donald Trump endorsed Hilton in April, backing his bid to flip the deep-blue state.
I have known and respected Steve Hilton, who is running for Governor of California, for many years. He is a truly fine man, one who has watched as this once great State has gone to Hell, Trump April 6 on Truth Social. Hilton subsequently the Republican nomination against Riverside County sheriff-coroner Chad Bianco with 24.6% of the vote on June 2 and now faces Democratic gubernatorial nominee Xavier Becerra, the former Golden State attorney general as well as President Joe Bidens secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, in November.
The Republican nominee is at an average of 36.5% at the time of publication, whereas Becerra is leading at 58.0%, underscoring the steep climb any GOP candidate faces in California and raising the question of whether Hiltons promise to appoint a Democrat will energize skeptical conservatives or simply reassure the states liberal majority.
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