How will a Democrat win based on the record they're putting before the people?
In a state long defined by its leftward lean, a British-born former Downing Street adviser and Fox News host has earned a place on California's November ballot, backed by a president whose influence reaches even into the most resistant corners of American democracy. Steve Hilton's advance past billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer sets up a November contest against Xavier Becerra — a race that will ask whether California's frustrations with its own governance run deeper than its resistance to Republican rule. The outcome may say as much about the national mood as it does about the Golden State itself.
- A crowded, historically expensive primary fractured the Democratic vote enough to let the only well-funded Republican slip through — a structural accident with enormous consequences.
- Trump's endorsement transformed Hilton from a political curiosity into a credible threat, injecting federal culture-war energy into a state that has made defiance of Washington its governing identity.
- Becerra enters the general with institutional weight — a former state attorney general and Biden cabinet secretary — but must reassemble a Democratic coalition still scattered after a chaotic primary.
- Hilton's pitch is essentially a dare: that California's exodus of residents and businesses proves Democratic governance has failed, and that voters are ready to admit it.
- The November race now stands as a proxy war over California's future — a test of whether anti-incumbent exhaustion can outweigh a two-to-one Democratic registration advantage in the nation's most populous state.
Steve Hilton, a British political operative who once advised Prime Minister David Cameron and later spent six years hosting a Fox News program, has secured a place in California's November gubernatorial runoff. After a week of ballot counting from the June 2 primary, Hilton edged out billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer to advance alongside Democrat Xavier Becerra. A Hilton victory in November would make him California's first Republican governor in 15 years — a remarkable outcome in a state where Gavin Newsom has been among Trump's most combative state-level opponents.
Hilton's biography is singular in American politics. He arrived in California in 2012 after leaving Westminster, became a U.S. citizen in 2021, and has never held elected office. His time in the Cameron government was marked by informality and provocative proposals, and the two eventually parted ways over immigration and Brexit. Trump's endorsement — calling him a "hard driving WINNER" — has been the engine of his campaign, and Hilton has embraced the framing that Democratic mismanagement, not Republican ideology, is the real story of California's decline.
His November opponent, Xavier Becerra, is a California native who served as state attorney general before joining the Biden cabinet as health secretary. Becerra has vowed to resist Trump's federal agenda while freezing insurance and utility rates. If elected, he would be the state's first Latino governor since 1875 — a meaningful milestone in a state where Latinos make up roughly 41 percent of the population. His path was also cleared somewhat when Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell withdrew from the race in April amid misconduct allegations he has denied.
The primary was the most expensive gubernatorial contest in California history, with more than 60 candidates — mostly Democrats — competing to succeed the term-limited Newsom. The fragmentation of that Democratic field is what allowed Hilton to advance. The general election will now force a direct confrontation between two visions: Becerra's promise of continuity and resistance to federal overreach, and Hilton's wager that Californians are exhausted enough with the status quo to try something genuinely different.
Steve Hilton, a British political operative turned Fox News personality, has secured a spot in California's November gubernatorial runoff after a week of ballot counting from the June 2 primary. The Trump-endorsed candidate edged out billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer, a Democrat, to advance alongside Xavier Becerra, the former health secretary under President Biden. If Hilton prevails in November, he would become California's first Republican governor in 15 years—a striking outcome in a state that has drifted steadily leftward and where the current governor, Gavin Newsom, has been one of Trump's most vocal state-level antagonists.
Hilton's path to this moment is unconventional. He arrived in California in 2012 after a stint as a senior adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron, a role that made him something of a fixture in Westminster from 2010 to 2012. He became a U.S. citizen in 2021 and spent six years hosting a show on Fox News, building a following among conservative audiences. He has never held elected office. His tenure in the Cameron government was marked by an informal style—he was known to walk the halls of Downing Street in shorts, greeted Barack Obama in his socks, and called the prime minister "Dave." He also proposed ideas that drew attention, including the abolition of maternity leave. By the time he left British politics, he and Cameron had grown apart over immigration policy and the direction of Brexit.
Trump's endorsement has been central to Hilton's rise. The president called him a "hard driving WINNER" and argued that Democrats had mismanaged California so severely that people were leaving the state. Hilton has leaned into this framing, challenging the premise of the question itself. When asked how a Republican could win in California, he responded by asking how a Democrat could win given the state's current trajectory. He has promised to govern differently from other California politicians, though he has offered limited detail on what that means in practice.
His opponent in November will be Xavier Becerra, a California native who served as the state's attorney general before becoming health secretary under Biden. Becerra has built his campaign around his record in both state and federal office, and he has vowed to fight Trump's policies while freezing insurance and utility rates for Californians. If elected, he would be California's first Latino governor since 1875, a symbolic milestone in a state where Latinos comprise roughly 41 percent of the population. Becerra's candidacy was strengthened when Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell withdrew from the race in April following allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, which Swalwell has denied.
The primary itself was crowded and expensive. More than 60 candidates, mostly Democrats, competed to replace the term-limited Newsom. The race became the costliest gubernatorial contest in California history, with massive spending from Steyer and significant Silicon Valley backing for San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, another Democratic contender. The sheer number of candidates and the fragmentation of the Democratic vote allowed Hilton to advance despite being the only Republican with serious resources and national backing.
The general election will pit two fundamentally different visions of California's future against each other. Becerra represents continuity with the Biden administration and a commitment to resisting Trump's agenda on immigration, climate, and healthcare. Hilton represents a Republican bet that California voters are exhausted with Democratic governance and open to a different approach. The state's size, its economic power, and its symbolic importance to both parties mean this race will draw national attention and resources. For Hilton, the challenge is converting Trump's endorsement and anti-incumbent sentiment into actual votes in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly two to one. For Becerra, the task is mobilizing a fractured Democratic base and making the case that his experience and commitment to protecting California from federal overreach matter more than frustration with the status quo.
Citas Notables
When people say, 'How are you going to win in California as a Republican?' My question is, how will a Democrat win based on the record that they are putting before the people?— Steve Hilton
He is a hard driving WINNER, and he will turn California around, quickly—and the Federal Government will be there, with him, to help!— President Donald Trump, endorsing Hilton
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
How does a British political operative with no electoral experience end up as a serious contender for governor of the most populous American state?
Trump's endorsement opened the door, but Hilton had already built a platform through Fox News. He spent six years on air reaching conservative audiences, so he wasn't starting from zero. The primary was fragmented—over 60 candidates split the vote, mostly Democrats. That allowed him to slip through.
What does Hilton actually stand for? The source doesn't give much detail on his platform.
That's the interesting part. He's running against the record of Democratic governance in California—homelessness, cost of living, people leaving. But he hasn't spelled out what he'd do differently. He's betting that the critique is enough, that voters are angry enough to take a chance on someone new.
Becerra seems like the obvious choice for Democrats—he's Latino, he's experienced, he's from California.
He is, but there's a risk. He's tied to Biden, and Biden's approval numbers have been soft. Becerra has to convince voters that his experience matters more than their frustration with the current direction. He's also promising concrete things—frozen rates, resistance to Trump—which is more specific than Hilton's message.
Does Hilton's Britishness matter? Is that an asset or a liability?
It's probably both. It makes him distinctive, gives him a story. But it also means he's never navigated American electoral politics before. He doesn't have deep roots in California beyond the last 14 years. Becerra has been in California politics for decades.
What happens if Hilton wins?
It would be seismic. No Republican governor in 15 years. It would signal that even in a deep blue state, anti-incumbent sentiment and frustration with governance can overcome partisan lean. It would also give Trump a major ally running a state that's been his most consistent antagonist.