The 2026 California gubernatorial race took a major turn with Republican Steve Hilton announcing his candidacy to succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The former Fox News host and author of “Califailure” said he’s aiming to “Make California Golden Again,” with a focus on improving life for the state’s “working people.”
“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,” Hilton told Fox News Digital exclusively.
“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,” he added.
The media personality received quick endorsement from Vivek Ramaswamy, a business entrepreneur who ran for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination but who quickly endorsed now-President Donald Trump when he dropped out.
“Steve Hilton represents American excellence. He’s a great entrepreneur & communicator, and he’ll be a dominant Governor of California,” Ramaswamy posted to X on Monday afternoon. “I’ve known him for years & enjoyed welcoming him to Ohio for our launch in Feb. He has my full endorsement.”
Hilton, a U.K. native and graduate of New College, Oxford, previously served as a senior advisor to former British Prime Minister David Cameron, then leader of the Conservative Party.
“[California] really reminds me of Britain in the 1970s. The UK was called the ‘sick man of Europe’, Hilton explained in a campaign announcement video sent to Fox News. “There’s no other way of looking at California today than the ‘sick man of America’.”
After relocating to California in 2012, Steve Hilton embraced the American entrepreneurial spirit by co-founding Crowdpac.com, a Silicon Valley tech startup. His growing presence in conservative media eventually earned him his own Fox News Channel show, The Next Revolution, which aired Sunday nights from 2017 to 2023.
With Newsom term-limited, candidates from both parties are lining up to vie for the state’s top job. On the Democratic side, contenders include Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and former Rep. Katie Porter.
On the Republican side, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has also launched a campaign.
Although Democrats hold a supermajority in the California legislature, a recent poll of likely voters found that 48% would consider supporting a Republican candidate for governor, according to the Sacramento Bee.
“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.
Notably, former Vice President Kamala Harris is considering a run following her defeat in the 2024 presidential election. Should she enter the race, Harris would immediately emerge as the Democratic front-runner.
California faces pressing questions about its future, not only in the aftermath of devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County, but also as the state grapples with rising crime, homelessness, and the financial sustainability of major programs like Medi-Cal.
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, hundreds of thousands of residents have left California annually at an accelerated pace since the pandemic. Republicans have argued that under Newsom, an equal number of illegal immigrants have been invited into the state to offset the loss of congressional seats held by Democrats.
As Fox noted, “The cost of living for many Californians is higher than in the rest of the nation, including when it comes to taxation and gas prices.”
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.”
