Nicholas Veeder: A 100-Year-Old Veteran of the Revolutionary War (1860)

A 100-year-old veteran of the Revolutionary War named Nicholas Veeder poses in his uniform, 1860. pic.twitter.com/DMfSXHhCy7

— 📜Echoes of Empire📜 (@EchoesofEmpire_) June 13, 2026

Aurelio Mattucci's Huge Win Against Two-Time Loser RINO Dishonest Mike Griffiths

 

I cannot rejoice enough over Councilman Mattucci's major win over former city councilman Mike Griffiths for the Torrance City Treasurer position.

Griffiths has a horrid reputation for lying to people in the city.

In 2018, I wanted him to support a Resolution against the Sanctuary State Law, SB 54. He made a bunch of excuses, stating that he didn't want to bring a "circus" of protesters to the city council.

How ironic that another circus--Black Lives Matter--would show up and shut down city council business for years. But that's another story for another day.

Griffiths said he would not support it. And yet, at the next city council meeting, there was a request for concurrence on a resolution against SB 54. Griffiths voted for it, along with Mattucci and Chen.

Councilman Milton Herring voted against it, along with Rizzo, Furey, and Goodrich, so the request for concurrence failed. Why would Griffiths tell me he opposed it, then went along with it when he had the chance?

This kind of double-dealing became commonplace with this guy.

I have shared before that Griffiths was particularly rude to me--as well as diffident--about supporting a Resolution of No Confidence in George Gascon. How could anyone find this problematic? 

Of course, there was his long of history of arrogance toward the general public. I remember when he attended some of the Beach Cities Republicans meetings, and he would snap back at some of the questions posed by the members.

On the council, once George Chen became mayor, Griffiths would routinely remind the public: "Well, since I am the city councilmember with the most experience ..."

Of course, having experience does not make one an expert. The 15th US President, James Buchanan, had more political experience than most presidents before and after--and yet he's regarded as one of the worst presidents in our nation's history. Experience is not enough. Elected officials have to have class, honesty, and integrity.

Those are characteristics which Griffiths has long lacked.

He ran for Treasurer in 2022, and one would think that as a sitting city councilmember, he would have had the best chance. There were four other candidates, including, at that time, former city councilman Tim Goodrich (who left his seat for career reasons, I guess?). The current treasurer, Dana Cortez, was not showing up to work, and there were two other candidates, including conservative Rick Marshall (who managed to send out a mailer that year, too!)

Goodrich won. Griffiths couldn't beat a former city councilman, one who had quit his job before the end of the term! That is pretty sad. I also remember visiting Griffith's campaign Facebook page, and someone had posted my blog post calling out Griffiths for not wanting to take a stand against Gascon!

After George was elected mayor, Griffiths didn't want to issue a Resolution of No Confidence in the Los Angeles Health Director Barbara Ferrer. His opposition failed, since Sharon Kalani went along with it, and Asam Sheikh abstained (something he does quite a lot on the city council dias).

Griffiths supported tax increases. Griffiths was OK with the Pride Resolution. Griffiths wanted to increase the spending. He was never a true Republican.

Then he ran again for city treasurer.

What kind of support did he muster for his second bid for city-wide office?

Councilman Jeremy Gerson endorsed him, but do you notice anything funny about the photo?

It's AI! You can see the Google Gemini logo in the bottom right corner.

It's fake, just like the persona that Griffiths tried to present to the public over his last two campaigns.

Why didn't Gerson bother to show up for a photo shoot, anyway?

Gerson is a Democrat now, by the way, so that showed where his growing interests lie.

Speaking of Democrats, look who else endorsed Dishonest Mike:

If you can't read the circled section, here's a larger print:

Yes, the liberal Democrat state assemblyman, who thinks it's OK for teachers to keep secrets from parents about their children, who made it easier for sex offenders to avoid the sex-offender registry, who wanted to make it harder to fire pervert teachers, who raised our gas taxes, he endorsed Griffiths.

If this doesn't scream RINO, I don't know what will.

I was stunned when I first saw this, and I had hoped to write something about it, time permitting. What a betrayal! Why would anyone, especially a supposed Republican, promote an endorsement from an abusive Democratic lawmaker like Muratsuchi? The state assemblyman even pushed for his chief of staff, Andrew DeBlock, to run against Griffiths in 2020!

I didn't have the time to go after this perverse endorsement. Getting out the vote for Mattucci was more important. Thankfully, that decision paid off.

Former city councilman and two-time loser for city treasurer, Mike Griffiths, has used the domain name "I Like Mike" for his campaign website ever since he ran for office, starting with the city council in 2014. It's time for him to get the message: No, we don't like him, and it's time for him to move on.

Reminder: George Chen and Jon Kaji (Conservatives?) Voted Against Red Rifle Gun Store

Torrance Mayor George Chen and Coucilman Jon Kaji lost bigly in Election 2026

Torrance Mayor George Chen has lost his re-election bid.

So has Councilman Jon Kaji.

Looking back at their votes and their commitment to the values they had campaigned on, it's no surprise they lost.

Consider this very disappointing outcome.

This was four years ago, and revealed that the conservative-leaning Torrance city council majority that so many had worked hard to elect was turning on its base.

Here's the eblast from the South Bay NRA following a key gun decision before the city council:

Good Day Everyone,

Unfortunately, the subject line of this emails sums it all up.

Last night, many of our members attended the Torrance City Council meeting regarding the business permit for Red Rifle LTD.  Many anti-gunners attempted to voice their opinions behind a wall of false pretenses.  Many of our patriots voiced support for free enterprise, education, training, and the Second Amendment.  But alas, the majority of the city council members voted to deny Red Rifle a business permit in Old Torrance.  The meeting did not end until after midnight.  We will spell out the meeting in more detail later.

In the meantime, we ask that you take a moments and send an email of support and appreciation to the ONE council member that voted in support of Red Rifle.

Please send your message of APPRECIATION to council member Aurelio Mattucci :  AMattucci@TorranceCA.Gov

Here is how the vote unfolded last night.

    

And one quick footnote.  Some of your expressed your excitement earlier this year when George Chen won the mayoral seat in Torrance.  You may want to have a second look at that.  

James Ma

President

NRA Members' Council

South Bay - Los Angeles

A gun store is a legitimate business.

The city council at this time had four Republicans (including Sellout Sharon Kalani and Dishonest Mike Griffiths), and one supposedly conservative-leaning independent.

Only Aurelio Mattucci voted the correct way. He voted for the store.

There is nothing wrong with a legitimate business setting up shop in the city, and the gun store was not just legitimate, but essential, considering all that had transpired across the country during the "mostly peaceful" George Floyd protests in 2020.

Chen was the biggest disappointment for many, since his supporters had viewed him as a partner with Councilman Mattucci on many issues.

At the CRA Christmas Party later that year, one resident confronted (now former) Mayor Chen about voting against the gun store, and he sheepishly replied: "This is what the voters wanted."

What kind of answer is that?!

More people are killed every year by car accidents than by guns (once you factor out the suicides and the self-defense actions). Should we stop opening businesses because parents fear that their children will get killed crossing the road?

Early on, George Chen was already disappointing the conservative base that had rallied hard to elect him.

Kaji, as well.

It's no surprise that they faced quite a backlash, and from all sides in Election 2026.

And they lost. They lost bigly.

Good riddance!

Lessons From The California 2026 Primary

 

In a previous article, I analyzed the big winners and losers of the California primary. I didn’t mention my preferred candidate, Sheriff Chad Bianco, because to me he’s still a winner, even if the rest of the state (and Trump) rejected him.

California needed saving, and I believed that the sheriff was just the man to get the job done.

I thought Trump’s endorsement wouldn’t matter. 

I went through 5 minutes of grief after I saw Bianco getting a distant fourth place in the gubernatorial race. I went through the stages of grief fairly quickly, arriving at the place of acceptance. When I could look at the assumptions I operated under and see where I went wrong, it gave me hope - and I hope it gives hope to others - that there is a way to turn things around in California. But just not right now, and not as fast as I would like.

My calculations were way off for this race. I had such hopes. Not only did Bianco lose, but Republicans running in my state assembly and state senate districts got locked out of the general election, too!

Reality TV actor Spencer Pratt, as an outspoken common-sense independent candidate for mayor, lost his chance to challenge Karen Bass for Mayor of Los Angeles in November.

Where did I go wrong? What did I learn?

1. I thought that Californians really had suffered enough, and they were ready to go in a new direction. Look at all the homes that went up in flames in Pacific Palisades! Across the states, homes have gone up in flames due to poor forestry and water practices from the Democratic-run government. The election results indicate that Californians have not suffered enough. They haven't learned that voting Democrat means more destruction. 
2. I thought the DEI dominance of the Democratic Party would frustrate their candidates and allow two Republicans into the Top Two for governor and other races. Every identity and interest group in the state of California gravitates towards their preferred candidate. Former state controller Betty Yee would get the Asian vote. The California state superintendent of schools, Tony Thurmond, would get the black vote. Former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villagosa and former Congressmember Xavier Becerra would compete for the Hispanics. Tom Steyer, with billions to burn, played Bernie Bro, embracing the most aggressive left-wing policies. Katie “Karen” Porter would get the single white female vote. However, Democrats, even though they are determined to articulate intersectionality as much as possible (no straight white males, please!), the Democrats’ drive for power remained  number one, and they figured out how to winnow the field (force out Swalwell, sideline Mahan), and ensure at least one Dem made it through to the Top Two.
3. I assumed that the hardcore progressive Berniecrats and Democratic Socialists of America would harm the Democrats with their own infighting and help Republicans. Tom Steyer blanketed the state with mailers, including high-propensity Republican voters like me. California State legislators and statewide officials split behind Steyer or the more Establishment Democrat (Porter, Becerra, Swalwell). Ultimately, Big Business and Big Labor still call the shots in California Democratic politics. Their paid politicians will pay lip service to progressive platforms, like advancing single-payer health care, enacting a ban on gas-powered everything, and eviscerating the Second Amendment. In the end, however, just like in prior elections, California Democratic power brokers muted support for the most progressive policy positions and sidelined the Berniecrats. The Democratic Party of California is performative, not progressive, and they promoted Becerra to advance into the general election. 
4. The California Republican Party faces some serious soul-searching. They face an electorate that is two to one liberal against them. The Democratic dominance is not just concentrated in the big cities, but is spreading to the suburbs. Orange County, California, was a bastion of conservatism from FDR. While the state went blue in Presidential elections from 1992 onward, Orange County stayed red. Those days are gone now. For so long, I hoped that Republicans in California could change their brand, reshape their outreach, and augment a more common-sense policy platform to appeal to disaffected Democrats and independents. Sadly, Trump Derangement Syndrome has proven too malign for liberal voters to overcome. Democrats will not vote for more reasonable people unless the candidates are registered independents, like the current Los Angeles County District Attorney, or are Democrats unafraid to buck their party and the system, like Los Angeles City Councilwoman Tracy Park.
5. Trump is the boss, even when I don’t like his endorsements or choices. The boss may make mistakes, but the boss still makes the final call. The Republican Party is now Trump's party, even in California. He has been good for the national party, since he has adopted working-class populism to win the Rust Belt. That political coalition does not resonate in blue coastal states like California. Trump expanded the electoral map and the demographics of the GOP. Those gains have not helped California. The Golden State has become an amalgam of aggressive public sector unions, festering hot beds of indoctrination in universities and public schools, plus an overwhelming population of illegals and recent arrivals committed to getting rich off the government. With interests like those, sound constitutional conservative policy cannot break through. I don't blame Trump; I blame the liberal majority in California. And this disappointing reality reverts back to my first lesson: California voters want their abject liberalism, even if those policies cause nothing but suffering. 

 

Trump will move on. Perhaps the California Republican Party can rebuild and have a future? Will there be any hope of the Republican Party brand resurgence when Trump retires? A successor can build on Trump's current policy successes, learn from his messes, restore GOP suburban outreach, and bring in disaffected upper-middle-class moms and dads. Republicans in California have to find a way to bridge that gap, including tech elites and factory workers. There are signs that such a shift can happen.

Hispanic voters, especially in California, are moving to the right, but there is a need for real economic freedom and change. The decline of public schools and the rise of homeschooling suggest that the younger generation will be more independent and certainly more open to constitutional conservative thinking. With those kinds of changes, they will open up to the Republican Party.

If we want constitutional rule restored for certain in California, it will take a religious revival, which can happen. Argentina was a socialist basket case for 100 years. Only as Christian revival surged throughout the country, a new generation of voters began to reject the bland, played-out legacy of socialism. Then, outspoken charismatic libertarian economist Javier Milei announced his bid for president, with a new party, and then took the Argentine political class by storm as their new President. 

Californians can wake up, and they can vote themselves out of political bondage. Of course, not just a change of minds in younger voters, but the welcome intervention of election integrity measures from the federal government will go a long way to ensuring a viable political system in California where the constitutional rights and the everyday needs of Californians can be respected and relieved. 

BREAKING NEWS: Aurelio Mattucci Wins Torrance City Treasurer Seat

 

BREAKING NEWS! With only 265 ballots left to count, yet maintaining a 290-vote advantage, Torrance City Councilman Aurelio Mattucci has been confirmed as our NEXT CITY TREASURER!

CONGRATULATIONS, AURELIO!

Let us all SAY HIS NAME!

This win is momentous and monumental for me.

Aurelio Mattucci has been the only outspoken conservative on the Torrance City Council.

He consistently opposed tax increases.

He boldly spoke out against the Pride Resolution.

He has repeatedly stood up for law enforcement and local businesses, even pressing for the city to reject the COVID-19 lockdown orders.

He was the only councilman to vote for the gun store, when the Torrance Planning Commission had rejected its application.

And for me, where it gets really personal, he was the only city councilman who stood up for me and rejected the effort to disqualify me when I sought an appointment to the city council in 2022.

That took real courage. Aurelio had barely won re-election in 2022, and his opponent, Jean Adelsman, had the support of the entire political establishment, Republican and Democrat. Creepy Pat Furey resorted to smear Councilman, now Treasurer-Elect Mattucci as "MAGAtucci."

Well, MAGAtucci won!

This victory is particularly gratifying for me, as well, because former city councilman Mike Griffiths loses.

And loses big.

And loses a second time.

Griffiths is one of the most arrogant, dishonest politicians in Torrance. He has lied to me, he has lied to other residents, and he treats everyday people with such disdain. In 2022, when I asked him to simply support a Resolution against George Gascon two years ago, he laughed me off and dismissed the proposal. When I asked him to support certain candidates, he just lectured me with such disdain.

Someone like that has no business representing our city.

His arrogance was particularly legendary when he insisted on announcing that he was "the most experienced city councilman" on the dias during Mayor Chen's tenure. Repeatedly, we had to hear about how he had served longer than anyone else on that dais.

And what difference did it make?

He voted against the gun store. He voted for tax increases. He was OK with the Pride Resolution. This guy was another flabby liberal trying to fit in with the political class. He was one of the wannabe city elites, and the people said "No, Thank You."

This victory is also particularly vindicating because Aurelio didn't send out any mailers. I got one mailer from the Griffiths camp, which included endorsements from Flabby RINO sellout Frank Scotto and Heidi Ashcraft. Those kinds of endorsements would never have moved me, and most voters didn't care, either.

Aurelio is outspoken, rough around the edges, and committed to doing what is best for the city. I am glad he speaks his mind, and he is not afraid to fight for everyone else's freedom of speech, too.  We need more people like Treasurer-Elect Mattucci, who will fight for what residents need and want, keep his promises, stand up for what is right, and keep fighting even if everyone else on the city council or in city government is pushing back.

SAY HIS NAME! Aurelio Mattucci is our next City Treasurer!

DNC Once Again Voting to Defund Law Enforcement

 

RNC Statement on House Democrats Voting to Defund Law Enforcement

Washington, D.C. – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Joe Gruters released the following statement after 211 House Democrats voted against critical funding for federal law enforcement: “House Democrats’ main constituency is illegal immigrants and criminals,” said Chairman Gruters. “Democrats have now voted dozens of times against funding ICE, Border Patrol, and DHS, repeatedly siding with open borders over law and order. While President Trump and Republicans secure the border and enforce our laws, Democrats continue to obstruct the very agencies who protect Americans.” Background: House Democrats voted against legislation providing critical funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). More than $38 billion for ICE More than $26 billion for Customs and Border Protection   Senate and House Democrats have now voted 37 times against border security.

Reflection on Torrance Election 2026

Well, a major takeover has taken the Torrance City Council. 

Sellout Sharon Kalani is besting Mayor George Chen. David Kartsontis pushed out John Kaji in a blowout, and Asam Sheikh has held on to his seat without any problems. Betty Lieu, the wife of Lying (pun intended) Congressman Ted Lieu, won her seat outright, as well. Many Republicans were frustrated with the two Republican candidates i that race, hoping that Harry Ward would drop out, since he was the weaker of the two, with less money and less support. Ultimately, it didn't matter. Michelle Brooks was my preferred candidate, but even if she had gotten Harry's votes, Lyin' Betty still would have won. 

This is quite a turnaround. Unprecedented, to put it mildly. If my history is correct, this is the third time in the history of Torrance that an incumbent mayor lost his seat. First, there was the famous controversial Albert Isen ("There are no negroes in Torrance". Then there is Dan Walker, who recently passed away. 

And now George Chen has joined that list. 

Clearly, there was a lot more anger in the city than I was aware of. For me, I didn't think there was enough outrage, because I didn't see "Recall George Chen" signs throughout the city, the way I had seen them 20 years ago when Frank Scotto challenged and replaced Dan Walker. 

But here we are today. 

Every major interest on the left and right, if you can call Frank Scotto and his Republican ilk right, wanted to get rid of George. 

But I have to say that some unforced errors in the George Chen camp could have been fixed if he had tried. 

I think it was noteworthy and noble of George to reject the pride resolution. A lot of residents didn't want it, and the city council chambers were filled with people opposing the resolution in 2024. 

It's another pride resolution that was the problem. George Chen became very proud, arrogant, and unapproachable. 

I remember speaking to two very well-connected conservative activists in the city, and they both shared deep frustrations with George Chen. And I have to say that I share them. 

George took away our public comment! Initially, any member of the public would have 3 minutes to address the city council during general public comment, and then they would have 3 minutes to speak on each agenda item as they saw fit. Initially, I had tolerated the limit on public comment because the Black Lives Matter hate group was still disrupting City Council meetings. When they would start screaming and yelling and shouting "Say his name!" the city council would move into closed session and wait for the BLM activists to burn out and go home. 

Finally, they quit. But George didn't give us our time back! I complained about this issue many times. Sharon Kalani made this a campaign issue, and she even contacted me about it during the campaign season. I contacted one of George Chen's campaign managers, and I told him that George needed to fix this. It would be a real shame for him to have done all the work he did, only to lose his seat. 

He didn't listen to me. 

Something else that was particularly disturbing was George's insistence on installing automatic ticketing cameras. Red light cameras, speeding cameras, automated ticketing programs for parking violations. All of this was sprung on us at the Coast Christian Center campaign event in February 2026.

               

   

I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Chen was open to this proposal, and he was supposed to be a conservative! Not only that, but over the last few weeks, as I've been making noise about this issue, even liberal Torrance residents are just as outraged. This would have been an easy win if George had shut the whole thing down. 

Last of all, it was very painful to reflect that he and John Kaji threw me under the bus when I applied for the Open City council seat in 2022. Yes, I had a prior conviction, and I had submitted all the information about it when I applied for the city council seat in 2021. When I got my record expunged, the lawyers told me I didn't have to declare it. They gave me bad legal advice, but vile interests in the city and on the city council took advantage of this unintended mistake. 

On the day in question, I was disqualified in front of everybody. It was very painful at the time. It was particularly painful because I had worked very hard to help George and John get elected to City Council, and the way they repaid me was to throw me under the bus. And to do it publicly. And that shows no courage in standing up to the city council members or to the city staff, because I presume that the city attorney had been leading them along to just get rid of me. 

I know that a lot of people didn't want me on the city council, and I accept that. I've made a choice that I just will stand for what I believe in, and recognize that I'm just not going to be to everyone's liking. But to have two of the three people on that dais throw me under the bus was just sad. 

George made excuses about it when I confronted him 2 years later. John Kaji strung me along, claimed that he was working on fixing the problem, but he never did. In fact, he just hid behind the city attorney, who put all the blame on me. 

Finally, in January this year, I confronted the city council for their abusive practice.               

            

 It was shameful what they did to me, and I put them to shame for what they did to me. I called them out by name, but abstain from mentioning Jeremy gerson, Bridget Lewis, and certainly Aurelio Mattucci, because Aurelio was the only one who had voted against disqualifying me. 

I was surprised at the amount of support I received for that speech. I didn't know if anyone even cared!

And now I fast forward back to that Coast Christian Center debate event. I have not shared this story, because I didn't know if it would have been appropriate, but now I think is a good time. As always, leaving the event, I saw David Kartsonia, the candidate running against John Kaji. Out of nowhere, unprompted by me, David said to me: "Arthur, you gave a great speech at the last city council meeting. And you're right. You were badly treated, and that shouldn't have happened to you."

That meant the world to me. David wasn't going to get anything out of me, so he had no reason to say that to me unless he chose to. And he did. He showed real character that evening. 

And with that said, I'm happy to say that I'm glad he got elected. I'm glad that John Kaji lost. He deserved to lose. All the stuff that I've recently learned about him, including real estate dealings and the fact that he pretty much carpetbagged into the district, all hurt him. I support him then, but when I saw how little a connection he had to the district, I can see why voters gave him the heave-ho.

The Team Torrance PAC made unforced errors, as well. I received a flyer promoting George Chen, and it said Team Torrance as the sender. But their address was located in Santa Ana, California! Why would someone in Orange County be sending out mailers for a Torrance City Council race? It makes no sense! The pack could have purchased a dummy office, set up a Torrance mailing address, and sent out the flyers that way! 

Betty Lieu was guaranteed to win, since she was the highest vote-getter in the 2018 school board election. She has gathered a lot of support (I don't know how or why, but there it is). With that fact, I presumed that the pride resolution would probably get shoved down our throats. Now I guess it's pretty much a done deal. Then again, I see that a lot of corporate interests and a lot of cities are dialing down on the pride nonsense and taking down the flags. Perhaps the same kind of worn-out lack of interest will pervade Torrance as well. 

All in all, I'm not all that sad about the city council elections. 

If Aurelio holds on and becomes the next city treasurer, that will be the ultimate vindication. I think it's important that people who actually respect the needs of others, serve the city, get things done, our rewarded with election to higher office. We'll see what happens!

California Primary Election 2026: A Reflection

 

The California Election 2026 primary is over.

And yet, it’s not over because the counting continues.

Democratic leaders will justify the Golden State’s drawn-out counting because they emphasize ease for everyone to vote. Everyone gets a mail-in ballot; everyone can vote wherever they please in the state; and everyone should like it.

The state allows ballots to be counted up to seven days after Election Day, provided that the ballots are postmarked ON Election Day, too. UGH! It’s Election Day, as Justice Alito commented in a recent Supreme Court case, which could have upended this month and a half of counting long after Election Day.

Republicans are right to call foul on this inordinate amount of time to collect and count California’s ballots. How can anyone trust an election system in which ballots keep rolling in day after day, and certain margins start flipping seats here and there? Republicans have benefited from sudden changes in the voting, sure, but Democrats, by and large, benefit even more. It’s not a sound, integrated system.

Thankfully, the federal government is investigating the election centers. The California Post exposed the LA County voting center for having only one person manning a desk while all the other desks sat empty, all with a $336 million budget! After the expose, lots of employees showed up to start counting ballots.

So far, so good.

Let’s set aside the recriminations about voter fraud, and let’s assume the results as they stand statewide will remain relatively stable until certification. Who are the winners and losers on California’s Primary Election Night 2026?

Let’s start with the biggest winner: Trump.

He endorsed British Fox News anchor and author Steve Hilton in April (Easter Sunday, in fact), and the momentum never stopped building for him. His main rival, the Riverside County Sheriff, had launched his campaign in February 2025, and then Hilton followed about two months later. Early in the election, polls indicated that Hilton and Bianco would take up the Top Two spots. Hilton alone made it, all because of Trump.

The next winner: Xavier Becerra.

This long-time politico was struggling along with single-digit support for a greater part of the campaign season. As candidates began dropping out, including serial #MeToo creep former Congressman Eric Swalwell, Becerra’s chances increased. Democratic activists (including Indivisible chapters) networked to push back on the single-digit gubernatorial contenders, and a wide array of liberal coalitions lined up behind the former Assemblyman, Congressman, state attorney general, and Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Another winner: Steve Hilton, obviously.

A Republican made it into the Top Two again for Governor, when some of the polling disturbingly indicated that two Democrats could lock out Republicans from the governor’s race! Hilton had some slips along the way, and at one point, his opponent alleged that Hilton had run out of money. Yet he persisted, and Trump gave him another boost a week before the primary election day. Some of my friends were pledging to vote for Sheriff Bianco, but changed their minds following Trump’s reminder endorsements. So far, that boost has paid off.

Now, let’s talk about the losers:

Left-wing cosplaying billionaire Tom Steyer went down in flames yet again. He was much closer to getting the gubernatorial nomination this year compared to his silly bid for President in 2020. Not only did Steyer lose the race, he wasted $200 million for the privilege of losing again. He flooded mailboxes with campaign literature. As a high-propensity Republican voter, even I received six campaign mailers from the Steyer campaign, including a big gloss-up slamming Becerra for mismanagement, scandal, and incompetence.

None of it worked. I visited his final rally in Downtown Los Angeles, and it was a pretty middling crowd. Becerra had a rally a few hours later, with three times the attendees, endorsements, and lots of energy. Money can’t buy a politician love (just ask Hillary and Kamala!), and Steyer had to relearn that lesson.

Former Congresswoman, US Senate candidate, and now gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter burned up again during her campaign, too. Democratic operatives have never liked her, yet she didn’t get the message in 2024 when she played victim and cried about a rigged primary. In 2026, her polling bottomed out worse. It’s stunning to see how even registered Democrats had enough self-respect that they didn’t want to give the Orange County harridan Karen a chance at further political power. The nasty videos of her cursing out staff, her heated and unpleasant interview with a CBS reporter, all of which showcased her arrogance and diffidence towards others, revealed how out of touch and out of place Porter was in pursuing elected office again. She believed all the progressive headlines when she got elected to Congress, but never realized that the political aura of winning a seat in once-conservative Orange County, California, would wear off.

The Progressive-Berniecrat wing of the Democratic Party lost big time. Our Revolution, THE Bernie Sanders-aligned PAC, endorsed Tom Steyer, undermining their messaging and hurting their credibility. For years, Bernie and his bros have been railing against the billionaire class. Then they line up behind a billionaire? Steyer’s biggest promoters struggled to justify their clashing endorsement, and voters didn’t buy it. Will this latest capitulation signal the end of Bernie Sanders’ influence in national politics?

Other losers include the Republican Party establishment. California’s Republican state legislators all lined up behind Sheriff Bianco early in the race, and now they have egg on their faces. A majority of California county central committees also endorsed Bianco, yet their say didn’t amount to much. Republican leaders need to consider what role they play in California politics now that Trump is calling the shots so squarely.

On a similar note, Republican conservative grassroots, specifically the California Republican Assembly (CRA), also lost big with this primary election. As early as February 2026, Sheriff Bianco had lined up conservative support. The CRA convention endorsed Bianco overwhelmingly for Governor v. Hilton. That didn’t matter at all. The Trump endorsement wiped out any influence of this organization, and Republican voters who just vote, voted for Hilton.

This outcome should prompt reflection among conservatives and other Republican groups in California. If they differ from Trump, do they have any strategy or resources to sway voters? If they don’t have the time or energy to make their case, then why gather and organize in the first place?

The ballots are still being counted, but these results will pretty much pan out by July and into the November general election. Does Hilton have a chance against Becerra in November? It will take a miracle. If progressive voters sit out the election, and Republican turnout exceeds prior off-year general elections, Hilton has a chance. But Becerra has arranged key endorsements from major companies, and he has gathered enough support from disparate factions of the Democratic Party that he has the momentum and the message that a two-to-one Democratic state wants to hear.

One should also add that California, yet again, is the biggest loser of them all. If the election turns out as expected, we can expect four to eight more years of performative progressive government, complete with malfeasance, scandal, and incompetence.

Will California voters ever learn?