dropdownlist validation

Question

On the create.cshtml file I need to have a default value selected. I got the default value to work but now it won't validate. I googled and someone said that I must use DropDownListFor instead of DropDownList. But I can't get the DropDownListFor to work. Any ideas? Thanks

 

--controller--

 var SelectedState = "New York";

var stateList = new SelectList(db.states, "Name", "Name", SelectedState);

ViewBag.StateOptions = stateList;

 

 --Create.cshtml --

 @Html.LabelFor(model => model.State)

@Html.DropDownList("StateOptions", String.Empty) <=== This works but won't validate.

//@@Html.DropDownListFor(model => model.State,new SelectList(ViewBag.StateOptions,"Id","Name"), "Pick State") <== Tried this too but no luck. @

@Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.State)

Output 

 https://www.dropbox.com/s/xy97ju2guop9ux2/stateDropdown.png?dl=0