Republican gubernatorial hopeful Steve Hilton is crisscrossing California ahead of the June 2 primary, pressing the case that this race is a referendum on Democratic misrule in the Golden Statenot a proxy war over Donald Trump.
As reported by RedState, the contest has already exposed a deeply troubled Democratic field, marred by scandal and ideological extremism. Just days ago, disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D) abruptly exited the race after at least five women accused him of sexual harassment or assault, triggering a Justice Department investigation announced on April 16.
The contrast between Hilton and his Democratic rivals could hardly be sharper, both in temperament and in policy vision. One striking difference is that Hilton now leads the latest Emerson poll in Californias notoriously chaotic jungle primary, drawing 16 percent support, with fellow Republican Chad Bianco close behind at 14 percent, while he also secured a coveted endorsement from President Donald Trump earlier this month.
During a Sunday interview with The Hills Chris Stirewalt, Hilton was pressed on whether he believed both he and Bianco could emerge from the primary and advance to the November general election. His response left no room for wishful thinking or intra-party fantasy.
Ive never thought thats a realistic possibility, he told Stirewalt. Youve got the massive financial power of the government unions and their corrupt relationship with the Democrat politicians. Youve got the billionaire Tom Steyer. They will spend whatever it takes to make sure that theres a Democrat in the top two.
Hilton warned that the real danger for conservatives is not a split Republican vote, but the possibility that no GOP candidate survives the top-two primary at all. In his view, that scenario would hand Democrats a blank check to continue the same failed policies that have driven residents and businesses out of the state.
That actually is the scenario I think we really need to be worried about and that we need to unite behind the leading Republican." For Hilton, party unity is not a talking point but a strategic necessity in a state where public-sector unions and progressive billionaires dominate the political landscape.
Stirewalt attempted to shift the conversation to national politics, citing a June 2025 Public Policy Institute of California poll showing President Trumps approval at just 29 percent of California adults approve of Trump, including 82 percent of Republicans, 31 percent of independents and six percent of Democrats. That line of questioning reflected the broader media effort to nationalize the race and tether every Republican to Trump, regardless of the office they seek.
Hilton pushed back, reminding Stirewalt of a basic but critical fact: while his name and Biancos appear on the California ballot, Donald Trumps does not. The former White House adviser insisted that voters are far more concerned with their daily reality than with Beltway obsessions.
This election is going to be about the future of California and the fact that were desperate for change in California," Hilton said. For a state battered by high taxes, rampant crime, and a spiraling cost of living, that message aims squarely at the frustrations of ordinary families and small-business owners.
Hilton then laid out what amounted to an opening argument for this weeks gubernatorial debate, making clear that Democratsnot Republicansown Californias decline. He pointed to the states punishing tax burden, exploding homelessness, and decaying public order as the direct result of progressive governance.
Thats entirely due to Democrat policies after 16 years of one-party rule. Thats the argument that Ill be making in the debate on Wednesday and then into the general election. Why would you expect a different result if you keep voting the same way? The answer for California is not another Democrat. Its a completely new direction and thats what Im offering.
In a separate Zoom interview with Newsweek, Hilton sharpened his critique of the status quo and underscored the urgency of political change. He portrayed California not as a progressive success story, but as a cautionary tale of what happens when left-wing ideology goes unchecked.
California is desperate for change. Everythings heading in the wrong direction. Its really a disaster, and were desperate for a change. He added that, "[i]f the campaign for California governor is about Californiathen I will win. If the Democrats succeedto make the California governors race about national politics, then the headwindswill come into play.
For conservatives, Hiltons strategy is straightforward: keep the spotlight on Sacramentos failures, not Washingtons drama, and force Democrats to defend the record they have built over more than a decade of unchallenged power. Republicans cannot afford to let the left and its media allies turn a state-level referendum on crime, taxes, and homelessness into yet another tribal fight over Trump.
Every Californian who is weary of tent cities, fleeing employers, and confiscatory taxes now faces a clear choice between more of the same or a genuine course correction. That choice begins in the primary, where voters who want to break the cycle of one-party rule must turn out and back a Republican, or risk watching Democrats walk unopposed into another term of mismanagement.
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