For California politicians who fancy themselves as the state’s next governor, this fall has become an unprecedented season of self-destruction.
The field aiming to succeed Gavin Newsom is the most crowded in modern memory. So far, the open seat with no obvious successor has drawn the likes of former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former state Assemblyman Ian Calderon, former state Controller Betty Yee, former Orange County Congresswoman Katie Porter, former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton, former state Attorney General Xavior Becerra, state Schools Supt. Tony Thurmond and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
Waiting in the wings: Democratic U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, who surveys indicate would become the favorite if he declares for the office.
For awhile, the polling leader was former Vice President Kamala Harris, the ex-U.S. Senator who dropped out after months of considering a run. She was the first candidate to self-destruct, when her September book belittled and griped about major national Democratic figures like Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Newsom and even her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Harris removed herself from the run for governor, but her book might take her out of the 2028 presidential campaign, too, having established her as a first-rate whiner.
Soon after, Porter – the early leader in most gubernatorial polls – was videotaped snapping at a CBS News reporter who asked tough questions and threatening to end their interview. Another tape quickly emerged revealing her as a screaming boss reaming out an aide. Her behavior forced her to apologize, and will hurt her poll standing.
These episodes revealed two inept politicos harming themselves, but the episodes cannot match the incompetence demonstrated by current poll leader Hilton.
His campaign office sent out a press release one day after Newsom in late October shut down the I-5 freeway, the high-speed coastal road for 19 miles between San Onofre and Oceanside.
The reason was a celebration of the Marine Corps’ upcoming 250th anniversary featuring Vice President JD Vance. It featured live artillery fire over the freeway. Despite assurances from the Marines that there could be no mishaps, Newsom feared firing artillery shells over the freeway might cause accidents and even deaths.
This drew derision from Hilton the day after the closure. Said Hilton, “(The) I-5 scandal was the final straw. For months, it has been clear that the focus of Gavin Newsom’s attention has been running for president. Instead of an actual governor, California for the last few months has had a social media manager focused on dopey posts …
“This weekend was the final straw…Newsom caused real harm to Californians with his pathetic, divisive stunt: needlessly closing the I-5 so he could blame President Trump for the resulting chaos.”
In fact, Newsom’s action likely spared Californians a lot of grief. By the time Hilton’s campaign sent his release, Newsom’s worries had been proven valid.
This became clear after one chunk of shrapnel from an artillery shell fired over the I-5 landed on the hood of a Highway Patrol cruiser parked on an off-ramp and some more hit a police motorcycle in the Vance motorcade. Other shrapnel landed on the freeway.
Imagine the havoc had traffic been moving at its usual 75-80 mph pace along the same stretch of 10-lane highway. Consider the traffic jam that might have ensued. Imagine the rear enders and potential injuries averted because the road was closed. Yet Hilton blithely sent out his press release a day later, when the shrapnel shower had been widely documented. He led the entire field by one point in the latest Emerson College poll, but that doesn’t figure to last once voters learn of his press release faux pas.
Hilton’s office did not respond to requests for an explanation of why the press release went out when it did and has carried on as if nothing happened. No apology, with phone calls and emails not returned. When will rivals start advertising Hilton’s blunder?
In the end, Hilton’s main gripe about Newsom was proven false. It should be difficult for any candidate to survive this, let alone a California Republican hoping to make next year’s runoff by unifying the GOP vote around himself.
