Facing an overwhelmingly Democratic electorate, Republican Steve Hilton is running for California governor by directly promising to slash costs and branding Democratic leadership as a "rotten regime," while delicately navigating his association with Donald Trump.
A California Republican gubernatorial candidate is attempting a unusual political strategy in a deeply blue state. Steve Hilton, a former advisor to British Prime Minister David Cameron and a one-time Fox News commentator, is running for governor against a backdrop of widespread voter dissatisfaction with California's high cost of living and perceived governmental inefficiencies.
His campaign launch took place in a Los Angeles neighborhood plagued by the aftermath of a fire at a cold storage warehouse, a site he used as a physical symbol of "political incompetence.
" In his remarks, Hilton directly addressed the state's Democratic leadership, calling them a "rotten regime that has abandoned the working class," and laid out a series of bold promises aimed at economic populism. He vowed to reduce gasoline prices to $3 per gallon, roughly half the current rate, cut utility bills in half, and eliminate the state income tax for families earning under $100,000 annually. He also blamed Democratic policies for California's plunging student test scores.
Central to Hilton's pitch is a delicate dance concerning former President Donald Trump. While Trump remains broadly unpopular in California, having lost the state by significant margins in the last three presidential elections, Hilton is a known supporter. His campaign is attempting to create a "sliver of distance" from Trump without outright repudiating him. Hilton's message to voters, including those who "loathe" Trump, is that the election is about California's future, not about who they "hate in Washington.
" His new campaign literature explicitly states, "This is not about who you hate in Washington. It's about what we love about California...
" He argues that voters should feel free to consider him if they believe the state is heading in the wrong direction, effectively seeking a "permission slip" to cross party lines. This strategy acknowledges the political math in California, where registered Republicans are a minority, and aims to win over independents and disaffected Democrats. Despite Hilton's efforts to moderate his image for a general audience, California Democrats have swiftly and forcefully dismissed his overtures.
They have immediately branded him as "Trump's puppet in California," drawing a direct line between his policies and the former president's agenda. A campaign spokesman for the Democratic opponent argued that Hilton supports a president whose policies, including tariffs and drilling restrictions, have exacerbated the very affordability crisis Hilton claims he can fix.
The spokesman claimed Hilton "cheers on a president whose illegal war has sent gas prices soaring and illegal tariffs have cost California families more than $2,500 this year alone," concluding, "You can't fix the affordability crisis while carrying water for the man causing it.
" Democrats also point to Governor Gavin Newsom's successful precedent of nationalizing state issues by framing them as fights against Trump, a tactic that has resonated with voters. With Democrats holding every statewide office and supermajorities in the legislature, Hilton's path to victory is widely seen as a steep uphill climb, requiring not just persuasion but a significant departure from California's recent electoral history where Democratic identification has been a powerful motivator in the face of Trump-era politics
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