Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News contributor and author, has entered the California 2026 gubernatorial race to be Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom’s successor. The author of the book “Califailure” says he wants to “Make California Golden Again.”
The Announcement
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Hilton said, “A big decision that I’ve made, which I can now share with you, that I am going to be running for governor of California in 2026. I love this state. It’s the best place in the world as far as I’m concerned. But this state is barely recognizable after 15 years of one-party rule.”
Hilton’s Roots in the UK
Born in the United Kingdom, Hilton later attended New College at Oxford and was a senior advisor to former British Prime Minister David Cameron. Having worked for the former leader of the Conservative Party, Hilton sees comparisons between the two countries. In his campaign announcement video, Hilton said, “[California] reminds me of Britain in the 1970s. The UK was called the ‘sick man of Europe.’ There’s no other way of looking at California today than the ‘sick man of America’.”
Hilton immigrated to the United States and settled in California in 2012. Embracing the American entrepreneurial spirit, he helped found a Silicon Valley tech start-up company, Crowdpac.com.
“I think for many people, when they thought of the American dream, they thought of California and the California Dream,” Hilton said.
Foray Into Conservative Media and Politics
Throughout his time in the United States, Hilton has contributed to various conservative media outlets. This led to him hosting his own show on the Fox News Channel titled ‘The Next Revolution,’ which ran on Sunday nights from 2017 to 2023.
As Newsom nears the end of his final term as governor, candidates on both sides of the aisle are tossing their hats into the race to replace him at the governor’s mansion in Sacramento.
Despite holding a supermajority in the legislature, Democrats are vulnerable when it comes to the govenorship. In a recent poll of likely voters by the Sacramento Bee, 48% said they would consider voting for a Republican.
This is good news for Hilton.
A Difficult Time in California
California is currently dealing with multiple crises. In the aftermath of the fires that destroyed several neighborhoods in Los Angeles County, the Golden State is also dealing with homelessness, crime, and fiscal management for programs like Medi-Cal. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Californians leave the state. According to the U.S. Census Bureau data, this phenomenon has accelerated every year. One major cause for this migration out of the state is the cost of living. For Californians, it’s significantly higher than most of the nation, especially when it comes to gas prices and taxation.
“We have the highest taxes in the country, but also the highest rate of poverty. You have one-third of Californians who can’t meet their basic needs. We have the highest housing costs. It’s the number one reason people are leaving the state,” Hilton said.
It’s become more difficult to survive, Hilton asserts, in the Golden State that was once acclaimed for “upward mobility” and being the land of opportunity.
