Republican Steve Hilton Kicks Off California Governor Campaign With Cost-of-Living Pitch to Democratic Voters
Republican gubernatorial nominee Steve Hilton opened his general election campaign in Los Angeles on Wednesday, pitching an ambitious cost-of-living relief package aimed at persuading Democratic and independent voters in a state where his party has not won statewide office in nearly two decades.
Speaking in the Boyle Heights neighborhood against the backdrop of a fire-damaged cold storage facility, the former political strategist unveiled a platform focused heavily on consumer relief. Hilton promised to slash California’s average gas prices to $3 per gallon, cut household utility bills by 50%, and eliminate state income tax for individuals earning up to $150,000 annually.
Achieving those tax and energy targets would require sweeping legislative overhauls. In California, personal income taxes represent the largest single source of state revenue, making state budgets unusually reliant on high earners. Meanwhile, reducing fuel costs would necessitate altering state-mandated special fuel formulations and excise taxes, while any major policy shift would require approval from a state Legislature dominated by Democratic supermajorities.
Recognizing the state’s steep political terrain, Hilton explicitly addressed his endorsement from Donald Trump, urging voters displeased with national politics to give themselves a permission slip to vote Republican locally. “This is not about who you hate in Washington,” Hilton told supporters. “It’s about what we love about California and what we can do to make California once again the best place anywhere in the country to start and raise a family.”
The electoral math presents a monumental hurdle for any GOP candidate. Official voter records maintained by the California Secretary of State show registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by almost two to one statewide. No Republican has won a statewide election in California since Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger won re-election in 2006, and Trump lost the state by at least 20 percentage points in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential contests.
The campaign of Democratic nominee Xavier Becerra, a former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary and California Attorney General, quickly challenged Hilton’s economic populist appeal.
Becerra campaign spokesman Jonathan Underland characterized Hilton as “Trump’s puppet in California,” claiming that federal policies and international trade conflicts championed by Trump have increased expenses for local families. “You can’t fix the affordability crisis while carrying water for the man causing it,” Underland said.
Hilton, a former senior policy adviser to former British Prime Minister David Cameron who has never held public office, appeared alongside his running mate for lieutenant governor, Gloria Romero. Romero, a former Democratic state senator who switched her registration to the Republican Party in 2024, delivered remarks in both English and Spanish to underscore the campaign’s cross-party appeal.
Becerra and Hilton advanced from a crowded June primary field of more than 50 candidates to succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is barred by state constitutional limits from seeking a third term. Under California’s nonpartisan top-two primary system created by voters in 2010, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of political affiliation.
The gubernatorial election unfolds as California faces complex structural challenges, including systemic homelessness, projected state budget shortfalls, instability in the property insurance market, and high living costs that continue to drive corporate and residential relocation to other states.
