‘Make California Golden Again’: Former Fox News Host Announces Bid For Governor

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.”