(Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)
Former Fox News host and author Steve Hilton jumped into the lead in California’s jungle primary for governor, in which the two top candidates from both parties will advance to the general election.
The new poll from FM3, commissioned by the moderate Democratic Party group California Issues Forum, has Hilton with a one-point lead over Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco (R) and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who are both tied at 17%.
Hilton and Bianco finishing first and second in the primary would mean two Republicans advance to the general election, and a Republican would run California for the first time since Arnold Schwarzenegger left office in 2011.
Swalwell entered the governor’s race in late November and quickly knocked former Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) out of her front-runner position. The poll was conducted between Nov. 30th and December 7th among 821 likely voters.
Porter has been plagued by accusations of mistreating her staff and sparked a mini-scandal by trying to walk out of a recent interview, during which she attacked the reporter for asking too many follow-up questions.
The poll also asked voters to consider just the two Democratic Party front-runners. Swalwell received 30 percent to Porter’s 21 percent in a head-to-head matchup, with 20 percent remaining undecided. California Attorney General Rob Bonta is still widely believed to be considering a run as well, and his entrance would shake up the race further. Democrats further splitting the vote in the primary could strengthen Hilton and Bianco’s lead over the pack, resulting in a worst-case scenario for the party.
California’s jungle primary has led to some strange bedfellows in terms of donor support. Politico reported this week that one of Porter’s top donors is also donating to Hilton’s campaign. Crypto billionaire Chris Larsen has maxed out his donations to both Hilton and Porter, but says Porter is his first choice. In recent cycles, California Democrats have boosted Republicans in their primaries to try to gain an advantage in the general election.
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