California governor candidate Steve Hilton blasted the Chamber of Commerce’s endorsement of Democrat Xavier Becerra as an “embarrassing” example of failed leadership in blistering comments shared with The Post.
Becerra was the first Democratic governor candidate the powerful, 136-year old business group representing major employers has ever endorsed after its board of directors met with both him and Hilton, a Republican.
CalChamber President & CEO Jennifer Barrera said California needs “collaboration, not conflict.”
But the endorsement struck some as unusual given CalChamber’s record of endorsing Republicans and Becerra’s reputation as an establishment Democrat, and Hilton accused the group of betraying its members.
“What a truly pathetic display from California’s so-called business leaders,” Hilton told The Post in an email.
“They know perfectly well that Xavier Becerra would be a disaster for California’s business climate, with more of the same anti-business policies: more taxes, more regulations, more power to the unions, trial lawyers and climate zealots that have made doing business in California such a nightmare.”
CalChamber last endorsed former eBay exec Meg Whitman’s failed governor bid in 2010 and also backed Arnold Schwarzenegger’s reelection bid in 2006, Politico reported.
“Instead of standing up and fighting for the change that its member businesses know California needs, the Chamber of Commerce meekly played the Sacramento insider game, hoping that by sucking up to Becerra now they might get a few crumbs in the future,” Hilton continued.
He called Becerra an “an unaccomplished establishment mediocrity” but vowed to represent the business community regardless.
Former Fox News host Hilton, who’s considered an underdog in the November runoff against Becerra, previously called out his hefty donations from corporations like Chevron and Meta.
“The only silver lining for the quislings at the Chamber: when I’m governor I will be fiercely pro-business whether or not they endorse me, and whether or not they stuff my campaign coffers with cash as they have done for Becerra.”
This week, Hilton unveiled a tax plan that involves eliminating income taxes for the first $150,000 households earn and raising the flat tax rate to 8%.