Delegates meeting at the California Republican Party Spring Convention in San Diego failed to endorse a candidate for governor Satday, despite a recent endorsement by President Donald Trump.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco received 49% of the vote, while Trump's pick, former Fox News Host Steve Hilton, got 44%. The remaining delegates voted to not endorse either candidate. Sixty percent of the vote was needed to gain the California GOP Party's endorsement.
"The California Republican Party has an amazing candidate problem," Party Chairwoman Corrin Rankin said in a statement. She praised both Hilton and Bianco for being "outstanding candidates."
The three-day event, which began Friday, was held at the Sheraton San Diego Resort, with this year's theme of "Turning the tide, together." More than 1,100 delegates from across the state attended dozens of professional training sessions on campaign strategy, election integrity, voter mobilization, artificial intelligence in politics and ballot-harvesting countermeasures.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, was the keynote speaker Saturday night. He encouraged voter turnout in this year's midterms, saying, "We can turn this around," in an apparent reference to the state's Democratic super-majority. Cruz also took aim at California Gov. Gavin Newsom and embattled Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell, R-Dublin.
Other speakers included U.S. Reps. Darrell Issa, R-Bonsall, Tom McClintock, R-Modesto, Jay Obernolte, R-Hesperia, several state senators and assembly members, Republican National Committee Co-Chair KC Crosbie, and former White House press secretary Sean Spicer.
In a video posted on social media, Hilton showed off his new campaign T-shirt with Trump's endorsement.
"I would love every delegate here at the convention to focus on what we need to do, to leave this convention strong and united behind President Donald Trump's leadership, behind my leadership," Hilton said.
Hilton said people are sick of Democrats and California's highest cost of living in the country, highest unemployment rate, and highest property tax rate.
Bianco shrugged off the lack of an endorsement, saying Sunday that the result "didn't mean anything. I'm not running to get endorsements. I'm running for Californians," according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Delegates endorsed candidates for statewide office on the June primary ballot in other races, including Gloria Romero for lieutenant governor, Don Wagner for secretary of state, Herb Morgan for controller, Jennifer Hawks for treasurer, Michael Gates for attorney general, Stacy Korsgaden for insurance commissioner, and Sonja Shaw for superintendent of public instruction.
"California Republicans are united around a simple goal: win in November and break the Democrats' super-majority," Rankin said. "Our endorsed candidates will talk to Californians about how we will create safer communities, lower costs, and a government that answers to the people. We know what Californians are up against because we live it too. That is why we are going to take this fight directly to the voters."
The California Republican Party holds 10 of the state Senate's 40 seats and 20 of the Assembly's 80 seats. Of the state's 52 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, seven are held by Republicans.
