Conservative Blogger
Friday, April 17, 2026
Hilton Still Leads in Calif. Race, Steyer Rising (Last time a Republican was governor of California was in 2011)
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Republican candidate Steve Hilton continues to lead in the race to become California's next governor, with Democrat billionaire investor Tom Steyer rising in the polls after Eric Swalwell ended his campaign, according to RealClear Politics. The RealClearPolitics polling average shows Hilton at 17.3%, compared to Steyer’s 14.8%, giving the Republican a 2.5-point edge in the crowded primary field. Chad Bianco, another Republican, follows closely at 13%, while a fractured Democrat field trails behind, led by Swalwell at 13.3% before his exit, and Rep. Katie Porter at 10.3%. A new Emerson College poll conducted April 14–15 reinforces Hilton’s position, showing him at 17%, with Steyer and Bianco tied at 14%. The survey highlights how Democrats remain divided in the wake of Swalwell’s departure. "In the first Emerson poll since Eric Swalwell’s departure from the race for Governor, Democrats now split their vote between Tom Steyer (20%), Xavier Becerra (19%), and Katie Porter (15%), with Becerra gaining 15 points among Democrats without Swalwell on the ballot," said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling. The Emerson data also underscores Hilton’s strength with key voting blocs. He leads among voters over 50 with 24% support and dominates among Republicans, who split 48% for Hilton and 40% for Bianco. Independents remain fractured, with no candidate consolidating support. Meanwhile, a KGTV/SurveyUSA poll taken April 8-10 showed Steyer briefly taking the lead at 21%, compared to Hilton’s 18%. However, that survey was conducted during a period of upheaval in the race, as allegations surrounding Swalwell surfaced and endorsements were withdrawn. According to the KGTV report, Steyer benefited from strong support among voters aged 35 to 49 and across several regions of the state. Hilton, by contrast, led among Republicans, conservatives, higher-income voters, and residents in rural areas and the Inland Empire — a sign of a potentially durable GOP base even in deep-blue California. Despite Steyer's gains, the broader trend suggests Democrats are still splintered among multiple candidates, while Republicans are consolidating behind Hilton as the race develops. Across surveys, voters consistently rank the economy and cost of living as their top concerns — issues that could favor Hilton's message as Californians grapple with high taxes, housing costs, and economic uncertainty. With months to go before the primary, the data indicates a volatile contest. But for now, Hilton remains the candidate to beat, holding a steady lead while Democrats continue to divide their vote. |
GOP Takes Top Spots in Crowded California Governor Race Following Swalwell's Ignominious Exit
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Former Representative Eric Swalwell (I still get a tingle up my leg every time I write or say that, especially the "former" part) is now officially just an ordinary citizen, having resigned in disgrace from Congress and abandoned his gubernatorial ambitions. While Democrats are hurling recriminations at each other over the whole thing, California's governor's race is heating up; Swalwell's departure from the race has left them dazed and confused. The two leading Republicans in the race may be positioned to take advantage of that. A new Emerson College poll has some interesting results - but the California GOP shouldn't get too happy just yet. First, look at this graphic: That's got to have a few grins plastered on some Republican mugs around the once-Golden State, but we should point out that the two Republican candidates, Trump-endorsed Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco, together only grab 31 percent of the vote. Now, that might be enough if the Democrats retain their current disarray and their extensive roster of candidates. But we shouldn't depend on that; there are two reasons why. First, Democrats may be nuts, but they aren't stupid. (Well, not all of them are.) One thing they are good at, probably because of their collectivist mindset, is sticking together. The primary is still over six weeks away; that's plenty of time for California Democrats to get their feces cohesive and coalesce around one or two candidates, which could be enough. Second, remember, in 2024, Kamala Harris overwhelmingly won California's electoral votes, in an election cycle where the winds were at Republicans' backs, and she was running as a selected, not elected, candidate, the worst presidential candidate in American history, and she still took California by 58.5 to 38.3 points. Those great numbers in this Emerson poll may well be the GOP ceiling. The actual poll is here. It shows the two GOP candidates polling pretty equally among Republicans:
Here, also from the poll, is the list of things that Hilton and Bianco should hammer the Democrats on, every day; these are Republican strengths.
These are the issues that may well be able to drag in enough of all those undecided voters to tip the balance. Here's the fun part: In most elections, we would want our state organizations to gather behind one candidate, the best candidate, and unite. But this time, it may well be better to keep both in the race, and hope that Democrats stay as fractured as they are - which doesn't seem likely. But if these numbers are still in place when the primary comes off? Read More: BREAKING: Eric Swalwell's Resignation Is Official, Effective Immediately - Here's What's Next Swalwell Refuses to Go Quietly Into the Night As Lawyer Issues Statement Saying It's All a 'Hit Job' California's 2026 primary election is on June 2nd. Could this primary result in the November gubernatorial election offering California voters the choice between a Republican and a... Republican? It may not be likely, but boy, talk about California Democrats being hoist by their own petard. One would be able to detect all the Republican schadenfreude from orbit. Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress. |
This Could Get Interesting Real Fast: Hennepin County DA Issues Arrest Warrant for ICE Agent
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Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty
identifies as queer and is the first openly LGBTQ+ person to hold that
position. She came out publicly during her 2022 campaign, stating it was
important to share her authentic self.
Boy, it’s going to be fascinating to see how this one plays out. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), California Gov. Newsom, and their ilk have been demonizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for months on end, calling them the Gestapo and other incendiary names. On Tuesday, meanwhile, we brought you the outlandish story of California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer’s  calling for open warfare on the federal law enforcement agency. The man has seemingly lost his marbles. But Hennepin County District Attorney Mary Moriarty just upped the stakes on Thursday by charging an ICE agent — 35-year-old Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. — with two felony counts of second-degree assault for actions he committed… while on duty. Moriarty, the first LGBTQ person to fill the role, a fact that the media constantly reminds us of as if that makes any difference to her law enforcement abilities, delivered a stern press conference where she said, “There is now a warrant for Mr. Morgan's arrest, which allows law enforcement to arrest him anywhere in the country.” Watch as she literally snarls when she spits out the word "ICE." (Note, the tweet says it was two agents charged, but it’s now been confirmed that it’s only one):
THE WAR ON ICE: Tom Steyer's Latest Incendiary ICE Proposal and Call to Arms Is So Outlandish, Even Newsom Might Blush More Minnesota Madness: Left-Wing Prosecutor Wants to Know This About You Before Negotiating Deal Here’s the extremely short version of what went down: two agents were driving on the shoulder of a Minneapolis highway in an unmarked SUV at high speed in February. A driver apparently didn’t like what they were doing, so he swerved to partially cut them off. The angered agents then pulled up alongside the other vehicle, where Morgan allegedly pointed his gun at the occupants (there was a woman in the passenger seat). The agents said later that they had rolled down their window and yelled, "Police!" The pair in the car, in turn, took a picture of his license plate, called 911, and local authorities later found and questioned the agents in a parking lot. They said they assumed they were being harassed because they were ICE, and that had been a daily occurrence for them. Interestingly, DA Moriarity thought it was funny that the people cut off the agents. “Like some Minnesotans, he’s ticked off about this,” she said about the driver. “It’s one lane, right? So he moves over a little bit to impede. Classic Minnesotan.” Funny ha ha, almost causing a major accident. Now that’s comedy, folks. Remember, this is the same woman who hasn’t found time to file charges against the man who assaulted journalist/TPUSA contributor Savannah Hernandez while she was covering an anti-ICE protest in Minneapolis on Sunday. It’s on tape, Mary: The legal issues here are complicated (supremacy clause, anyone?), but I’ll leave that to our lawyers to dissect. If Morgan is arrested, however, tensions are going to ratchet up even further. Minneapolis just keeps the crazy coming. |
More Details About the Justin Fairfax Murder-Suicide Incident Have Dropped
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It was a horrifying parade. Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife, Cerina, on Thursday before taking his own life. The murder-suicide has shocked Virginia. The roots of this tragedy trace back to the rape allegations made against Mr. Fairfax by two women during Ralph Northam’s governorship. Although it ended his career, he served out the remainder of his term. After leaving office in 2022, Mr. Fairfax grew distant, drank heavily, bought a gun, and was ultimately ordered to vacate by April 30 under a judge’s ruling. He separated from his wife in 2024,
though they continued to live in the same house in Annandale, Virginia. Fairfax also lost custody of his children but was granted visitation rights amid a messy divorce process
Fairfax shot Cerina several times in the basement of the Annandale home on Thursday morning, before venturing upstairs and shooting himself in the bedroom. The two Fairfax children were in the house when the murder-suicide happened and called 911. |
Politico Had Swalwell Dead to Rights in 2019. What Happened?
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Eric Swalwell probably experienced one of the fastest and most brutal political downfalls in American history. He’s seen as a rising star—or at least was, according to the media—who quickly went from success to disgrace in less than five minutes. Last weekend, multiple women came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct and rape, leading him to withdraw from the California governor’s race, where he was the frontrunner. On Tuesday, another woman accused Swalwell of raping her in 2018. The Justice Department is now investigating these allegations. Everyone knew. You don’t get scalped this face without everyone knowing, and Politico seemed to have known about Swalwell’s skeletons in 2019 but did nothing about it. Why? By the time they were reportedly ready to publish this story, Swalwell had dropped out of the 2020 presidential race. Yeah, remember how cringeworthy that was? Also, nice work, guys. You let an alleged serial abuser get away:
The Democratic Party remains the most visible political organization that abuses women, and they can do so with impunity, as they have many allies in the media to help them bury the bodies. |
Judge unseals ATF report in Charlie Kirk assassination case
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| Tyler Robinson, center, accused in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk,
appears during a hearing in 4th District Court on January 16, 2026 in
Provo, Utah. Prosecutors have charged Tyler Robinson with aggravated
murder and plan to seek the death penalty. The Utah judge handling the case against Charlie Kirk’s accused assassin, Tyler Robinson, has just announced a ballistics report that showed that the bullet fragment could not be definitively linked to the suspected murder weapon — though the spent casing was confirmed as a match. Prosecutors stated that a separate testing has found that the DNA on Robinson’s gun was also found on the towel that was wrapped around the rifle, along with three out of four rounds inside the gun. Although the report from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) had been made public in previous court proceedings, the document itself has now been released from the court, and it includes additional details. Judge Tony Graf
determined that there was no basis to keep the filing classified, as it found that it did not contain any “private or inflammatory information.” The tested materials included a “deformed/damaged” piece of the bullet jacket along with four lead fragments that were partially included as an exhibit in a defense motion filed under seal on January 9th, which asked the judge to hinder the government from conducting further testing until a defense expert could examine and document the evidence. The ATF report noted “inconclusive” findings which mean that “an examiner’s opinion that there is an insufficient quality and/or quantity of individual characteristics to identify or exclude.” Two law enforcement sources that were well-versed in the investigation also told Fox News in March that the reason the AFT was unsuccessful at matching the bullet to the rifle was due to the bullet breaking apart on impact with Kirk’s body.
Ballistics are rarely the only piece of evidence in a homicide case, he added. And the unresolved findings only applied to the fragment, not the casing or the rifle found near the scene.
The ATF inspected a .30-06 cartridge case that investigators wrote “was identified as having been fired in the Exhibit 1 rifle,” the suspected murder weapon, Robinson’s Mauser. The agent found damaged fragments as .30-caliber class, which is consistent with Robinson’s rifle, though there was insufficient evidence to reach a definitive match.
Robinson is accused of shooting Kirk during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in September 2025. He reportedly climbed onto a roof that was across the courtyard from where Kirk was speaking to a crowd of roughly 3,000 people. Robinson then allegedly fired a single shot from his grandfather’s Mauser rifle that struck Kirk in the neck — leading to his tragic death. Prosecutors have noted that the campus police found marks on the gravel rooftop that were “consistent with a sniper having lain [there]” along with “impressions in the gravel potentially left by the elbows, knees and feet of a person in a prone shooting position.” Later on, police had found the rifle wrapped in towel in the woods near the campus. Prosecutors alleged that text messages between Robinson and his romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, had discussed how to retrieve the rifle.
As of today, Twiggs is cooperating with investigators, but has not yet been charged with the crime. Furthermore, Robinson is scheduled to appear in court on Friday for a hearing on his motion to exclude news cameras from future proceedings. He could face the death penalty if convicted of the charges against him. |
Hochul’s Desperate Plea to Wealthy New Yorkers Exposes Major Failures
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent plea for wealthy former New Yorkers to “come back” and replenish the state’s coffers was less a plan and more a confession of failure. Speaking at Politico’s New York Agenda forum, she openly admitted the state’s “tax base has been eroded” and even suggested supporters “go down to Palm Beach” and see who they can bring home — an extraordinary appeal from a governor whose policies helped push these people out. It’s stunning to watch a Democrat who cheered taxing success now grovel for the very taxpayers they chased away. Conservative commentators have rightly called out the hypocrisy: politicians promise generous programs funded by other people’s money, then act surprised when the people with the money move to states that actually respect it. Hochul tried to wrap her plea in realism, noting that remote work and aggressive tax regimes have made high earners far more mobile — but admitting the problem is not the same as fixing it. New Yorkers have fled to friendlier tax climates in Florida and Texas, where wages aren’t funneled into ever-expanding entitlement schemes and punitive proposals targeting success. Worse, Albany’s instinct has been to chase more revenue by squeezing the movers rather than making New York a place people want to return to. From talk of new levies on second homes to local proposals that would sharply raise death and wealth taxes, the idea that the state can tax its way back to prosperity is bankrupt and politically tone-deaf. If you beg people to come back only so you can tax them harder, you’ve already lost the argument for governance. The conservative case is simple: stop treating wealth as a target and start treating it as the engine it is. Fiscal sanity requires cutting wasteful spending, reforming runaway pension and entitlement liabilities, and creating a tax code that rewards job creators instead of punishing them. As Rep. Mike Lawler and other fiscal hawks have noted, desperate pleas for donors won’t fix a broken budget — honest reforms will. Hardworking Americans watching Albany’s circus should be angry and motivated, not conned into funding a perpetual spending spree. Voters deserve leaders who build prosperity, not parlor tricks that beg the rich to return to a state that treats success like a sin. If New York wants its taxpayers back, it must first prove it’s a state that respects their freedom and hard-earned money. |
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Watching Al Sharpton point-blank ask former Vice President Kamala Harris whether she plans to run again in 2028 felt less like journalism and more like a staged soft pitch from the left’s own booster club. Harris smiled, shrugged, and twice repeated the vague line that has become her political trademark — “I’m thinking about it” — leaving the crowd to fill in the rest with chants and hope. This exchange happened at the National Action Network event in New York, where the question was met with enthusiastic encouragement from the room. Americans who remember 2024 won’t be impressed by recycled ambiguity and rehearsed sound bites; Harris was the Democrat’s 2024 nominee who failed to secure the White House and is still trying to resurface from that loss. The media will call this savvy political positioning, but hardworking voters see it as the same tired playbook — reheated promises and nowhere to show for them. When Sharpton asked whether she would run again in ’28, the crowd erupted with “Run again!” and Harris repeated “I’m thinking about it” multiple times, a politician’s non-answer that signals an appetite for another bite at the apple rather than a clear plan. That theatrical back-and-forth is exactly the kind of performative moment Democrats favor: lots of noise, minimal substance, and maximum media coverage. It’s also telling that Al Sharpton, a perennial Democratic kingmaker in certain circles, used the platform to elevate Harris as a consequential figure — proof that the party establishment prefers familiar faces and identity politics over fresh ideas. Voters who care about real results over virtue signaling should be alarmed that the same consultants and celebrity activists are still steering the conversation. For Republicans and conservatives, Harris hinting at another run is not a threat so much as an opportunity; many analysts on the right have openly said her candidacy would help the GOP by making the choice clear for undecided voters. If she does jump back in, expect the campaign to be defined by the same left-wing culture fights and hollow rhetoric that motivated so many Americans to reject it the last time. Hardworking Americans don’t need more political theater — they need leaders who will fight for lower costs, safer streets, and secure borders. Conservatives should take this moment to sharpen their message, expose the emptiness behind the left’s pageantry, and remind voters that substance beats spectacle every time. |
Thursday, April 16, 2026
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