Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, announced he is running for governor of California as a Republican in a social media post on April 21.
In his announcement to X, Hilton wrote it is “time to make California Golden Again.” He stressed the need for “balance” and “practical policies” after a decade and a half of “Democrat one-party rule” in the state.
“I think there’s nowhere better than California, but I think everyone can see things have gone off track,” Hilton told NPR in an interview April 16, five days before entering the race. “Part of that is to have a serious policy platform, and some of that is reflected in this new book, ‘Califailure.’ But there’s much more to it than that.”
Originally from the UK, Hilton has lived in California with his family for roughly 14 years. He hosted “The Next Revolution” on Fox News from 2017 to 2023, and previously worked as former UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s Head of Strategy. Hilton published a book in March titled, “Califailure: Reversing The Ruin Of America’s Worst-Run State.”
“I think the best place to start, A, is just to look at the data. Look at the numbers. And if we said there’s a state — one state in America that has the highest housing cost, by far, the highest taxes, on and on, how has that happened?” Hilton told NPR. “And my answer, looking at that is something I think a lot of people across the political spectrum would agree with, which is one-party rule is not healthy.”
Outside of cost of living and taxes, Hilton also claimed the conglomerate of corporations in the Bay Area as one of California’s struggles.
Kamala Harris reportedly will decide whether she will enter the California gubernatorial race by the end of summer. Hilton said Harris would be a “great opponent to face” due to her national reach that would bring attention to the Golden state.
“She’d bring a lot of attention to the race and the issues that California faces,” Hilton said during his NPR interview. “And I think that’s important that we can have a really serious policy discussion about how we turn things around and make California what it should be, which is the best of America.”
The most recent Republican to win election as governor of California was Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006. The state is a Democratic stronghold which last backed a GOP presidential candidate in 1988.
Hilton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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