As American Family News (AFN) has reported, Republican Steve Hilton's gubernatorial campaign has focused on dissatisfaction with the state's high taxes, homelessness, unemployment and the cost of living to fuel his party's hopes of ending decades of Democratic control in the Golden State.
In February and March, the crowded Democratic gubernatorial field appeared to create an unusual opportunity for Republicans Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to finish first and second in the June 2 "jungle" primary, putting two Republicans on the November ballot and potentially shutting Democrats out of the general election.
That possibility eventually faded as Hilton consolidated Republican support, particularly after receiving President Donald Trump's endorsement in April. Hilton ultimately advanced to the November runoff alongside Democrat Xavier Becerra, finishing second in the primary.
More recently, the validity of polling has been called into question, with conservative commentators raising concerns about election integrity, ballot counting and Democratic voter-mobilization advantages. They question the state's election procedures, particularly its extensive mail-in voting system, lengthy ballot-counting process and acceptance of ballots arriving after Election Day.
Conservatives also warn that Democratic dominance in voter registration, labor unions and campaign organization will make it difficult for Hilton to defeat Becerra on Tuesday, and analysts suggest voters remain skeptical about the feasibility of Hilton's unorthodox policy proposals under a Democratic-controlled legislature.
As the RealClearPolling average of head-to-head polls now shows Hilton trailing his Democratic opponent by nearly 24 points, Frederick Douglass Foundation of California Chairman Kevin McGary tells AFN, "We cannot discount the level of brainwashing, ignorance, and complicity with evil that people who support the Democrats have."
He says California is full of people who simply do what they are told.
"They only have time to vote for the party that they've been indoctrinated into," the conservative advocate summarizes.
"Most people in California are immigrants from somewhere, and they've been told when they came here to California that this is a Democrat state. So, a lot of people just reflexively go to the ballot box and pull for the Democrats," he says. "They don't really think about what it means."
McGary co-founded Every Black Life Matters, which works to engage Black voters and other minority communities in conservative politics through education, grassroots organizing, leadership development and voter outreach. His activism emphasizes promoting school choice, free markets, limited government, religious freedom and traditional values, while challenging what he views as the Democratic Party's reliance on minority voters and its failure to address problems affecting their communities.
