Steve Hilton, a Republican, is running for governor of California in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Democrat Xavier Becerra.
Hilton advanced from the June 2 primary with approximately 25 percent of the vote, according to CapRadio/CalMatters. He launched his campaign on April 21, 2025, with an announcement event in Huntington Beach.
Candidate information
- Party: Republican
- Born: Aug. 25, 1969, in London, England
- Education: Bachelor of arts in philosophy, politics and economics, New College, Oxford
- Residence: Moved to California's Silicon Valley in 2012
- Citizenship: Became a U.S. citizen in May 2021; renounced British citizenship in 2025
- Family background: His parents emigrated from Hungary to Britain during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, according to Wikipedia
- Running mate: Former Democratic State Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero, announced as his lieutenant governor pick
Experience and public service
Hilton served as director of strategy for British Prime Minister David Cameron from 2010 to 2012. He hosted "The Next Revolution" on Fox News from 2017 to 2023. He co-founded Crowdpac, a political technology company, and later co-founded Golden Together, a bipartisan research institute, in 2023, while also holding academic positions at Stanford University. Those roles included visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, instructor at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design and scholar at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Hilton's campaign website, his BallotReady questionnaire responses and news interviews. They represent the candidate's own statements.
Taxes and budget
Hilton proposes eliminating California state income tax on the first $150,000 of income, according to his campaign website. In an Oct. 6 interview with Axios, he proposed an 8 percent flat state income tax rate on income above $150,000. He has called for cutting the state budget, which he said has grown 50 percent after inflation over the past decade.
Housing
Hilton said he wants to tackle what he calls the main causes of the housing crisis: hidden housing taxes, anti-housing regulations and anti-housing lawsuits. He said only about 5 percent of California's land is developed and said the state has space to build if bureaucratic obstacles are removed.
Energy and environment
Hilton proposes expanding oil production and refinery capacity in California to reduce gas prices, according to an ABC7 interview. He said California imports nearly 80 percent of the oil it uses despite having reserves, which he said increases costs and carbon emissions.
Criminal justice and public safety
Hilton said he wants to enforce the law on homelessness, open-air drug markets, shoplifting, illegal immigration and violent crime. He said people need to know that if they commit a crime, they will be caught, prosecuted and convicted.
Regulation and economy
Hilton said he would sunset California's regulatory code so regulations expire unless explicitly renewed. He pointed to Idaho as a model, saying that state reduced regulation by 95 percent using a similar approach. He said California has ranked as the worst business climate in America for ten consecutive years, citing an annual survey of chief executives.
Endorsements
Hilton has received endorsements from President Donald Trump and Vivek Ramaswamy, according to his Wikipedia page. Rep. Tom McClintock and Rep. Kevin Kiley have also endorsed him, according to State Affairs Pro. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, the California Congress of Republicans, the Bay Area GOP and other Republican party organizations have endorsed him as well, according to BallotReady.
Candidate positions were drawn from Hilton's campaign website, BallotReady questionnaire responses and news interviews. The Newport Signal did not interview the candidate for this profile.
