Hilton, Bianco to face off at Clovis GOP forum ahead of primary

Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco will meet again in the Central Valley on May 22, this time at a Clovis forum that puts the two leading Republican contenders for governor in front of Fresno County voters less than two weeks before the June primary. The event, billed as an America 250 Dinner, will be hosted by the Fresno County and City Republican Women Federated at the Regency Event Center on Willow Avenue and moderated by state Sen. Shannon Grove.

The Clovis appearance comes as the Republican governor’s race has narrowed around Hilton and Bianco in a crowded field. Both have drawn the most attention among GOP candidates, and the matchup has taken on added weight after Donald Trump endorsed Hilton over Bianco in April, a split that gave the race a sharper intraparty edge heading into the final stretch before voters cast ballots.

California’s June 2 primary will use the state’s top-two system, meaning the two candidates with the most votes move on to the Nov. 3 general election regardless of party. All active registered voters will receive a ballot, county elections officials began mailing those ballots on May 4, secure drop-off locations opened May 5, and the deadline to register for the primary is May 18.

For Fresno County Republicans, the Clovis forum is the latest sign that the Central Valley remains a critical stop for statewide candidates trying to prove they can speak to conservative voters outside the coastal media markets. Hilton and Bianco already faced local voters at a Fresno State gubernatorial forum on April 1, then squared off again at a GOP forum in Bakersfield on May 9. At that Bakersfield event, the two addressed education, homelessness and gas prices, issues that are likely to stay central as the primary nears.

That repeated Central Valley circuit matters because it offers a clearer read on how each candidate is trying to build a statewide coalition. The Clovis forum will give local voters another chance to compare Hilton and Bianco side by side, in a room shaped by Fresno County Republican activists and moderated by one of the region’s most prominent GOP state senators. With ballots already in mailboxes and the primary calendar tightening, the race is now moving from party speculation to direct voter contact.