Trump endorses Kevin Kiley for California congressional district seat

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday endorsed Kevin Kiley for California's 3rd Congressional District seat, telling voters the assemblyman has helped fight the “radical maniacs in Sacramento.”

Trump called Kiley, a Republican from Rocklin, “a conservative champion in the California state Capitol.”

“No one has fought Gavin Newsom harder than Kevin. He doesn't wait for the fight, like the do-nothing RINOs who have watched California get absolutely destroyed by the radical maniacs in Sacramento,” Trump said.

Kiley was a leader in last year's attempted recall of Newsom. The endorsement by Trump, who won the district in 2020, comes as ballots were mailed out this week.

Scott Jones, the Republican Sacramento County sheriff, had been seen as a Trump favorite. His ad shows him meeting with Trump at the White House to discuss immigration and ends with a promise to “make America safe again.”

Jones is vying with Kiley and Democrats Kermit Jones and David Peterson in the June 7 primary. The top two vote-getters will compete in the November election.

The most closely watched race is between Kiley and Scott Jones, since Trump won the district in 2020 and independent analysts see it as a safe Republican seat.

Kiley, who has been endorsed by the state Republican Party, has been more circumspect about his ties to Trump.

When Trump first ran for president in 2016, Kiley did not support any presidential candidate during the primary season. He said that as a candidate for a state office he did not get involved in federal matters.

Kiley did vote for Trump in the general election in both 2016 and 2020.