David Cameron’s previous senior advisor, Steve Hilton, has joined the race for California governor in 2026 as a Republican candidate. He aims to replace the Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, who is unable to run for a third term due to legal restrictions.
Hilton, who previously hosted a show on Fox News, launched his campaign with the theme “Golden Again: Great Jobs, Great Homes, Great Kids.” His campaign emphasizes his commitment to positive and practical solutions, focusing on assisting working families.
Before becoming one of Cameron’s closest advisors, Hilton, an ex-advertising executive, played a significant role in several early measures and photo opportunities for the former UK prime minister, including a high-profile trip to Alaska to promote the “Vote Blue, Go Green” message.
At his campaign launch in Los Angeles, Hilton criticized state Democrats for high taxes, rising home prices, and the deterioration of the “California dream.” He expressed his willingness to run against the former Vice President Kamala Harris, who has not ruled out the possibility of running for governor.
Hilton contended that the governor’s position should not be given as a consolation prize to a “failed and rejected machine politician from Washington.” He also mentioned that Harris, who is the daughter of a Jamaican and an Indian, would break new ground as the first Black woman to be elected governor in the US.
California adopts a unique electoral system where all candidates compete in the same primary ballot, and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election in November. In a highly Democratic state, Republicans have not won a statewide race in nearly two decades. Arnold Schwarzenegger was the last Republican governor, elected in 2006.
Hilton’s career includes serving as inspiration for a character in the BBC satire The Thick of It after his tenure as Cameron’s head of strategy. After leaving Cameron’s team in 2012, Hilton supported Donald Trump for the US presidency in 2016 and held pro-Brexit views but criticized the Conservative government’s “dark policies.”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/23/steve-hilton-former-david-cameron-adviser-to-run-for-california-governor
