If former Vice President Kamala Harris ever makes up her mind about running for California governor, the Democrat will have some well-known competition on the Republican side.
Steve Hilton, who until recently has been a frequent Fox News contributor, announced Monday he’s running for governor of the Golden State.
The author of “Califailure” told Fox News Digital: “A big decision that I’ve made, which I can now share with you, that I am, in fact, going to be running for governor of California for 2026. I love this state. It’s the best place in the world as far as I’m concerned.”
“But after 15 years of one-party rule, this state is barely recognizable. And I honestly think that the 2026 election in California is a life-or-death moment because if we continue with this one-party rule by the Democrats, things are just gonna really start to deteriorate very rapidly.”
It’s time to make California Golden Again.
We need some balance here after 15 years of Democrat one-party rule.
Positive, practical policies that actually help people, not ideological crusades.
It’s why I am running for governor of California
pic.twitter.com/Vfu1T18zGR
— steve hilton (@SteveHiltonx) April 21, 2025
Born in the United Kingdom and a graduate of New College at Oxford, Hilton was senior adviser to former British Prime Minister David Cameron, who was leader of the Conservative Party.
“[California] really reminds me of Britain in the 1970s. The U.K. was called the ‘sick man of Europe,’” Hilton explained in a campaign video. “There’s no other way of looking at California today than the ‘sick man of America.’”
This is the refinery being shut down by Democrat policies. Hundreds of jobs lost, gas prices even higher…
These idiots and ideologues have done enough damage.
It’s time to fight for our beautiful state of California and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. pic.twitter.com/LqFAkcwHsQ
— steve hilton (@SteveHiltonx) April 20, 2025
“We have a combination of idiots and ideologues who’ve been running this state into the ground, ruining what I consider to be the greatest state and the greatest nation on Earth, and it’s time for change,” Hilton said.
“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.”
“California represented the best of America. I think for many people, when they thought of the American dream, they thought of California and the California Dream,” he noted.
Hilton eventually landed his own weekly show on Fox News, “The Next Revolution,” which aired Sunday nights from 2017 to 2023.
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