Free Republic

Gavin Newsom’s carefully guarded wine empire is still netting a pretty penny while he’s in the governor’s office. Details of the governor’s sprawling network of wineries, hotels and booze ventures are revealed in the California governor’s economic disclosures. Federal Department of Justice probes involving Newsom’s wife, associates and family tax issues has ramped up scrutiny of the governor’s personal assets as he pledges to eventually release his tax returns to the public.

State Attorney General Alan Wilson has won the Republican nomination for governor of South Carolina, NBC News projected Tuesday, after a closely watched runoff that featured President Donald Trump’s unusual double endorsement of two candidates. Wilson is now heavily favored heading into the general election in South Carolina’s first open governor’s race since 2010. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster was term-limited and could not seek re-election. Democratic candidate Jermaine Johnson won his primary this month In the initial June 9 Republican primary, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette finished first with 29% of the votes, while Wilson placed second with 26%, with both...

The Florida GOP may just be the most wretched in the nation, and that’s saying quite a bit—Arizona GOP, I’m looking at you. Now admittedly, I don’t live in Florida, but the news coming out of the Sunshine state about how they’re scheming to protect Byron Donalds, an objectively bad candidate (but the preferred pick of the establishment), is really quite disgraceful. (Some rumors suggest Donalds’s protected candidacy has Susie Wiles’s fingerprints on it.) First off, the Florida GOP schemed to exclude major contender James Fishback from a debate with Donalds—they don’t want the voters to know how bad Donalds...

Businessman Zach Lahn’s win in Iowa’s Republican gubernatorial primary over President Donald Trump’s pick, Rep. Randy Feenstra, delivered a rare electoral setback for Trump in a primary season that had handed him back-to-back victories... Members of the MAHA movement...cheered the win as a sign their political message was resonating with voters. “This election is a signal that pro-pesticide does not mean pro-farmer,” said Tony Lyons, president of Kennedy-aligned MAHA PAC, which endorsed Lahn. “Zach Lahn made transitioning away from toxic chemicals the cornerstone of his campaign and won this election decisively with strong farmer support.” “Iowa has the fastest growing...

Thousands of California Democrats cast ballots for Eric Swalwell even though the disgraced ex-congressman’s zombie campaign for governor was suspended after allegations of rape and sexual assault. With 76% of precincts partially reporting Tuesday night, Swalwell had drawn 16,865 votes, or 0.4%, in the crowded race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to the California Secretary of State’s Office. It’s unclear why so many Californians decided to light their ballots on fire, as the votes amounted to wasted trees in California’s top-two primary, especially after Swalwell suspended his campaign and resigned from Congress after a series of women — including...

California election results are rolling in as voters wait for outcomes in the California governor's race and several key Bay Area races. A lot is at stake, and we are breaking everything down. As I of this writing…, Steve Hilton has 28% of the vote Xavier Becerra has 25% of the vote

The field of candidates for governor was once crowded with big-name California Democrats. By Election Day, it had narrowed to two — Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer — and Republican Steve Hilton. Each of those three campaigns has a story to tell about its own success. Becerra will talk about how he overcame “racist” criteria on polling and fundraising to become the first viable Latino candidate for governor (after Eric Swalwell imploded in a sudden sex scandal). Steyer will talk about how he fought billionaires and special interests — after spending over $200 million of his own money, a record...

@realDonaldTrump: CALIFORNIA: Vote today for Steve Hilton for Governor. He will work with me and the Federal Government, the money will flow because I have confidence in him (but not any of the others!), and we will MAKE CALIFORNIA GREAT AGAIN. Steve Hilton will NEVER let you down. VOTE NOW!

Chad Bianco is a good sheriff and, by most honest measures, a good man. He stared down Gavin Newsom’s lockdown regime when it took real courage to do so, and he built a following on the strength of that conviction. None of that is in dispute here. What is in dispute is arithmetic, and arithmetic does not care how brave you are. The Riverside County sheriff cannot become governor of California. The polling has been consistent across every reputable survey for months, and it has only hardened as the June primary closes in. The final Emerson College survey, conducted May...

“You need Chevron, I need Chevron.” That’s the message from Democratic gubernatorial frontrunner Xavier Becerra, who’s making waves by breaking with the left on one of California’s most ambitious climate policies — as he refuses to fully back the state’s plan to phase out new gas-powered vehicle sales by 2035. The former Health and Human Services secretary, who leads polling ahead of the June 2 primary to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, stopped short of endorsing the state’s target to ban new gas and hybrid vehicle purchases starting in 2035. “California should transition from gas-powered vehicles when it makes sense —...

Joe Biden will not endorse anyone in the race for California governor, despite candidate Xavier Becerra working as one of the top officials in the former president’s administration. The decision not to make an endorsement in the chaotic race is being seen by some as a glaring snub of former Health and Human Services Secretary, who has risen to the top of the Democratic crop in recent polling. Biden recently told former White House chief of staff Ron Klain that he would not endorse in the June 2 primary despite Becerra’s years of service under Biden, according to the New...

Mike Lindell just posted numbers that have to be making his rivals nervous. A new Big Data Poll released by the Lindell campaign shows the MyPillow founder leading the Minnesota Republican gubernatorial primary at 21 percent, narrowly ahead of Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth at 19 percent. election is less than a week away. The poll, conducted May 18 through May 20, surveyed 1,236 registered voters including 512 Republicans, according to the Lindell campaign. On the initial ballot, Lindell is listed at 21 percent, Demuth at 19 percent, and Qualls at 9 percent, with Patrick Knight, Peggy Bennett, John Krhin,...

Every now and then, a story I’d heard before comes roaring back into the headlines. Most of the time, there’s a reason I ignored it initially. I hear plenty of dumb rumors and dubious stories, and the overwhelming majority aren’t worth remembering. Well, this time I was told correctly, and I can’t actually believe it. Damn. Just last week, the Detroit Regional Chamber released a poll about the gubernatorial race here in Michigan, and this is what they found...In response to one potential three-way matchup, about 34% of voters surveyed said they supported Benson, the current secretary of state from...

The once Golden State has a jungle primary, meaning the top two vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party. As in the 2024 Senate race, Democrat party leaders are determined to repeat their primary strategy to set up a general election between a Democrat and a Republican. In the 2024 senatorial primary, then-Democratic Representatives Adam Schiff and Katie Porter held the one-two spot for a long time. But the last thing Democrats wanted was for Schiff and Porter to win the jungle primary and advance to the general election, where the two Democrats would spend months and dollars...

Former college football coach and current U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville has won the Republican nomination for governor in Alabama. Tuberville, who was the head coach at Auburn and three other major college programs, entered politics with his election to the U.S. Senate in 2020 and opted not to seek a second term. During his time in the U.S. Senate, Tuberville was closely aligned with President Donald Trump, who endorsed Tuberville in 2020 and has also backed his bid for governor. The November governor's race could feature a rematch between Tuberville and former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, who became the last...

Former Biden Cabinet member Xavier Becerra remains the top Democrat in the California governor’s race despite being targeted by a barrage of negative political ads and enduring sharp attacks from his rival candidates during recent debates, according to a new poll released Tuesday by the state Democratic Party. Billionaire Tom Steyer, a Democrat who is shattering self-funding records for statewide office, has been flooding the television airwaves, internet and social media with ads ripping Becerra’s long record in public office, as well as for accepting campaign donations from oil giant Chevron. But, thus far, that has not been enough for...

In Georgia, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is term-limited, opening up the governorship and creating crowded primaries on both sides. President Donald Trump has endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, but wealthy businessman Rick Jackson has proven a durable, free-spending rival on the Republican side. On the Democratic side, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has led primary polls but faces a large slate of rivals. If no candidate gets a majority in a primary, the top two contenders will advance to a June 16 runoff. In Kentucky, we have House District 4 with incumbent Thomas Massie trying to maintain his seat...

Georgia Democrats are worried their front-runner will fumble a “once in a generation” chance to win the governor’s mansion this year. Keisha Lance Bottoms has what should be an enviable résumé: former judge, city council member, mayor of Atlanta and senior White House adviser. She’s dominating public polling in the primary, bolstered by high name recognition in the Atlanta metro area. But a third of the Democratic electorate remains undecided, and her most high-profile endorsement is from former President Joe Biden, who left office deeply unpopular among Americans.

In [2021-2023], thousands of children crossed the border alone and ended up working in some of the most dangerous jobs in the country. Migrant children as young as 13 suffered chemical burns on overnight factory shifts, had their limbs mangled by conveyor belts or fell to their deaths from roofs......[HHS Secretary] Xavier Becerra [who was in charge of finding homes for the kids] began urging staff members to move them more quickly through shelters... Employees told me they loosened protections that had been in place for years, including in screening sponsors... Most of [the kids Becerra placed with sponsors] were...

SNIP The governor revealed the secret contingency plan to prevent two Republicans from advancing in the governor election — as polls show Trump-endorsed Steve Hilton near the top of the field in the packed race. Newsom alluded to “action efforts” behind the scenes to make sure Democrats aren’t locked out of the governor’s race, saying he “making my case” to “encourage that doesn’t happen.” Recent surveys show Democratic frontrunner Xavier Becerra and Hilton as favorites among registered voters, with billionaire Tom Steyer, Republican Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco and Democrat Katie Porter trailing a few points behind.