Free Republic

If you go to NASCAR to watch the cars crash, the Democratic gubernatorial race in California has been a thrilling pile-up. From Katie Porter spewing profanities at employees, to Eric Swalwell fleeing the race on the heels of prosecutors, it has been something to behold. However, some elements of the campaign have been more predictable, including the use of racial politics. The first major debate was canceled after Former Biden Health and Human Services Secretary and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra declared that his exclusion (due to low polling numbers) was racist.

Ten days ago, Congressmember Eric Swalwell was getting very close to becoming the Democratic candidate for governor of California. But then he imploded amidst sensational accusations of sexual harassment and assault. Within hours of the revelations, Swalwell abandoned his campaign and then resigned from Congress and is now under criminal investigation. Why Swalwell was leading the field of Democratic hopefuls was never clear. His only claim to political fame was being one of President Donald Trump’s most persistent critics — which, of course, has little to do with governing the nation’s most populous state. It seemed he was seen as...

The California governor's race is heating up, with Emerson College polls showing two Republicans leading after Eric Swalwell's departure. Steve Hilton leads with 17%, followed by Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 14%. Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer is tied with Bianco at 14%. Trailing Democrats include former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and former Representative Katie Porter both tied at 10%. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan follows with 5%. The poll also found that 23% of likely voters said they are still undecided, meaning the race remains wide open.

Progressive billionaire Tom Steyer has been telling California voters he wants to “abolish ICE” despite investing nearly $90 million in a company behind the state’s largest immigration detention center. The California gubernatorial candidate has tried to swat off that criticism, but in a recent interview with the Sacramento Bee, he said it was a “mistake.” “We never had anything to do with running the company,” Steyer said. “But it was a mistake to think that that was a place where it was decent to make money.” Steyer founded a hedge fund named Farallon Capital Management in 1986. Under his management,...

California Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Hilton joins Clay and Buck to discuss Eric Swalwell’s departure from the race, who he thinks inside the Democrat Party orchestrated the hit on Swalwell, and how he feels his campaign will deliver regime change in California.

This might be the most brutal community note of all time

Hollywood support for Eric Swalwell, who is currently leading a crowded field of Democratic candidates vying to become California governor remains steady — at least for now — despite rumors of inappropriate behavior with female staffers that have been swirling around the 45-year-old congressman for weeks. A fundraiser scheduled for April 18 which is being held at the home of producer David Miner and his wife Jennifer is moving forward. That event costs $250 for ‘guests’ and goes up to $10,000 for anyone seeking ‘host’ status. According to an invite, the event’s host committee includes lit agent and manager Lucy...

A former staffer for Rep. Eric Swalwell has reportedly accused the congressman of sexual assault and taking advantage of her over the course of several years — allegations the Democratic frontrunner for California governor is denying as false and politically motivated. The woman, who worked for Swalwell for nearly two years, said the most serious incident occurred in April 2024, when she alleges he sexually assaulted her after a charity gala in New York, according to a report published Friday by the San Francisco Chronicle. The woman, who was not named in the story, said she became heavily intoxicated while...

On April 22, KRON4 will host a California gubernatorial debate airing across the state. On the Democratic side, former Rep. Katie Porter will join East Bay Congressman Eric Swalwell and billionaire activist Tom Steyer on the debate stage. On the Republican side, political commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco will also take part.

Political media habitually use “race” to describe contests for public office. However the word implies movement and therefore would be inaccurate if applied to this year’s election of a new governor. Sixty-one names will be on the June 2 primary ballot, including 10 leaders who profess to be serious about seeking the office. However, they aren’t racing. Rather, the eight top-polling Democrats seem to be in a children’s game, sitting in a circle staring at each other, waiting for someone to blink. Meanwhile, the two top Republicans are taking potshots at each other, potentially undermining the GOP’s only chance to...

The University of Southern California (USC) and Los Angeles television station KABC tried to have a gubernatorial debate on March 24. The qualifying criteria for being invited included polling numbers and fundraising thresholds. Six candidates made the cut: four Democrats: Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Eric Swalwell and Matt Mahan, and two Republicans: Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton. Democrat Xavier Becerra, who didn't make the cut, called the qualifying criteria "biased. Every one of those who were invited is white. They should all withdraw from this racist so-called debate." His reasoning was so powerful that USC decided to cancel the debate...

California's jungle primary system has created a path for Republicans to flip the state in a nightmare scenario for Democrats, according to new polling that shows the Democratic field splintering while GOP candidates consolidate. The Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll, conducted March 9-15, has Republican commentator Steve Hilton at 17 percent and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 16 percent, while the leading Democratic candidates are scattered below them. Representative Eric Swalwell and former Representative Katie Porter each sit at 13 percent, businessman Tom Steyer at 10 percent, and former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra at 5 percent. […] The...

Apparently, it's panic time for Democrats in their one-party blue state of California. The Los Angeles Times reports that they are facing armageddon in the upcoming governor's race, whose "jungle" primary is in June. According to the Los Angeles Times: SAN FRANCISCO — Leaders of the California Democratic Party, along with liberal activists and loyal power brokers, are openly expressing fear that their crowded field of candidates running for governor may splinter the vote and open the door to a surprise Republican victory in November.SNIP The bottom line here is that Democrats wouldn't have this problem at all if they...

Something appears to be laughably missing in Politico's Saturday story about the June nonpartisan gubernatorial primary in California. Namely the front runner is a Republican, Steve Hilton, and another Republican is very possibly the second place candidate, both of whom would be facing each other in the November general election for governor.Is it a mere coincidence that Politico writers Blake Jones and Lindsey Holden completely ignored them because they happen to have the taboo (R) by their names which are completely AWOL in "Why Swalwell and Steyer are surging in California governor’s race"?The focus of the story (to the complete...

Matthew Hoffman, the ex-husband of former Congresswoman and gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter, reportedly suffered the indignity (and injury) of having Porter pour boiling potatoes over his head. Now that Porter's volatile temper and bad behavior to her staffers has been exposed for all to see, Hoffman has decided to break his silence on their relationship and confirm what most of us already know: she's a terrible politician, and would make an even worse governor. Hoffman spills the tea. Fortunately, since he lives in OR now, he has a state between them to insulate him from any blowback. Katie Porter is...

Hard as it is to believe, could change really be in the works for California?It may be, according to this Emerson poll, as reported by Newsweek:Republican candidate Steve Hilton is very narrowly ahead in the latest poll from Emerson College on California's gubernatorial race, pulling into the lead over former U.S. Representative Katie Porter, the Democratic front-runner.According to the details:The latest Emerson poll, conducted on October 20 and October 21, shows Hilton with a slim lead in the crowded field to replace outgoing Governor Gavin Newsom in California next year. The Republican has the support of 16 percent of California's...

In America today, our two major political parties are moving in opposite directions. For Republicans, it might be the “best of times.” Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, the GOP is feeling confident. Republicans have a strong chance to retain control of the Congress in 2026 midterm elections despite the party out of power traditionally gaining many new seats. This political environment is different. President Trump has had an incredibly successful first nine months of his second term and this will help Republicans in the midterm elections. After four years of no border security under the previous administration, it...

Knives are coming out for former Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) in the California gubernatorial race after several videos released this week generated widespread criticism over her behavior. Porter’s opponents and other Democrats rebuked the former congresswoman this week after she sought to end an interview early over a question that was visibly frustrating her.Shortly after, Politico obtained a video of Porter berating a staffer in 2021 for entering her live shot while she was recording a video with then-Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm (D), fueling further backlash. Though the California primary is months away, the incidents are threatening to hinder her...

The emergence of two videos showing former Rep. Katie Porter in an unfavorable light have cast a cloud over her gubernatorial prospects, feeding perceptions among some that the Irvine Democrat is thin-skinned and a short-tempered boss. How Porter responds in coming days could determine her viability in next year’s race to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to both Democratic and Republican political strategists.“Everyone’s had a bad day. Everyone’s done something that they wouldn’t want broadcast, right? You don’t want your worst boss moment, your worst employment moment, your worst personal moment, captured on camera,” said Christine Pelosi, a prominent...

Katie Porter was exposed for berating a staffer and throwing a tantrum during an interview in two video clips this week. And the California governor candidate is even worse when cameras aren’t rolling, one ex-staffer told The Post Friday. One of the lawyer and politician’s cruelest tactics is dehumanizing her young underlings by referring to them in the third person — while in their presence. “It was easier for her to do these things to the quieter ones, the more soft-spoken ones, who wouldn’t be like, ‘hey, that’s not okay,’ ” Sasha Georgiades, a former Wounded Warrior Fellow and Navy...