Overview

• Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host and adviser to UK Prime Minister David Cameron, announced his 2026 gubernatorial campaign in Huntington Beach, California.
• Hilton is running as a Republican with the slogan 'Golden Again,' emphasizing jobs, housing, and education as central issues of his campaign.
• He joins Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco as the second major Republican candidate, entering a field dominated by prominent Democratic contenders such as Xavier Becerra and Katie Porter.
• Hilton criticized California's Democratic leadership for high taxes, housing costs, and poverty, framing his campaign as a fight against 'one-party rule.'
• California's top-two primary system could give Republicans a path to the general election if Democratic votes are split among multiple candidates.