April 6 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday endorsed former British government aide and Fox News host Steve Hilton in the upcoming California governor's race.
Hilton, who has dual nationality, served as former British Prime Minister David Cameron's director of strategy and was one of his closest advisers before leaving Downing Street in 2012 and moving to California.
"I have known and respected Steve Hilton, who is running for Governor of California, for many years ... With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before! Steve Hilton has my COMPLETE & TOTAL ENDORSEMENT," Trump said on Truth Social.
Under California law, the top two finishers in the June 2 open primary contest will advance to November's election, regardless of party.
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Polls show that Republican candidates Hilton and Chad Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff, are closely bunched with three Democrats: U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell, former U.S. Representative Katie Porter and billionaire activist Tom Steyer.
Hilton and Bianco both support Trump, though they have sought to focus their campaigns on state-specific issues such as crime and high taxes.
Democrat Gavin Newsom, who has been the governor of California since 2019, is not permitted to run for a third term.
Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger was the last Republican to serve as California's governor from 2003 to 2011.
(Reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
