A tiny number of people imposing their view on the majority, hurting them in the process
Five days before California's primary election, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton placed himself at the center of a debate that has quietly reshaped how communities understand fairness, identity, and the purpose of sport. The case of a transgender high school athlete competing for state track titles has become a mirror in which Californians are asked to weigh individual dignity against collective equity. Hilton's pledge to suspend a decade-old law reflects a broader national reckoning — one in which polling, policy, and personal stories are pulling in different directions, and where the outcome of a single race may carry consequences far beyond the finish line.
- A transgender athlete's pursuit of a second consecutive state championship has ignited a firestorm that is now consuming California's gubernatorial race just days before voters go to the polls.
- Democratic frontrunner Tom Steyer's public message of support for the athlete handed Hilton a sharp political weapon, allowing him to frame his opponents as disconnected from the concerns of ordinary families.
- The California Interscholastic Federation's attempt to resolve competitive disparity through a controversial placement pilot program has satisfied almost no one — including the athlete's own mother.
- Two female teammates filed a Title IX lawsuit against their school district, and opposing volleyball teams forfeited matches rather than compete, signaling that the tension has moved well beyond debate into lived disruption.
- With 65% of Californians and 71% of school parents supporting birth-sex competition requirements, Hilton's position is calibrated to a majority — but the primary will test whether that majority translates into votes.
Five days before California's primary election, Republican gubernatorial frontrunner Steve Hilton stepped into the state's most charged cultural debate, rallying against transgender athlete participation in girls' sports and targeting Democratic rivals Tom Steyer and Xavier Becerra in the process. The immediate catalyst was AB Hernandez, a trans athlete from Jurupa Valley High School preparing to compete for a second consecutive state track championship — and Steyer's public video message expressing pride and hope that Hernandez would win the girls' titles.
Hilton, speaking at a rally alongside former NCAA athlete Sophia Lorey, Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Brown, and state superintendent candidate Sonja Shaw, called Steyer's stance "wildly extreme" and "totally out of touch with most California families." He was equally dismissive of Becerra, characterizing him as a career politician too beholden to the party's left wing to take a principled stand.
The Hernandez case had already reshaped the landscape before Hilton's rally. Last year, Hernandez won two girls' state titles, drawing national attention. When Hernandez joined the girls' volleyball team in the fall, multiple opposing teams forfeited rather than compete, and two of Hernandez's own teammates filed a Title IX lawsuit against the school district, alleging that locker room access policies created an unsafe environment and violated their rights.
This spring, as Hernandez returned to track, the California Interscholastic Federation introduced a pilot program awarding female competitors who finish behind Hernandez one additional placement spot — a compromise that drew criticism from nearly every direction, including from Hernandez's own mother. The program will remain in place through the upcoming state finals.
Hilton pledged to immediately suspend AB 1266, the 2013 law enabling transgender athlete participation in school sports, while pursuing legal proceedings to overturn it entirely. He argued the law violated the California state constitution. When pressed on the rights of transgender athletes, he offered a careful balance: "I absolutely respect the right of people to live their lives the way they want... but not in a way that hurts the majority."
His position tracks closely with public sentiment. A Public Policy Institute of California survey found 65% of Californians and 71% of school parents support requiring transgender athletes to compete based on sex assigned at birth. With Steyer's vocal support for Hernandez placing him on the minority side of that question, the primary will serve as a live test of whether cultural positioning — or something else entirely — determines who leads California next.
Five days before California's primary election, Republican gubernatorial frontrunner Steve Hilton stepped into one of the state's most contentious debates, positioning himself against Democratic rivals over the question of transgender athletes competing in girls' sports. The catalyst was immediate and personal: AB Hernandez, a trans athlete from Jurupa Valley High School, was preparing to compete for a second consecutive state championship in track and field, and Tom Steyer, one of Hilton's Democratic opponents, had just posted a video message of support, telling Hernandez, "I'm so proud of you for what you're doing," and expressing hope that the athlete would win the girls' championships.
Hilton seized on the moment at a rally attended by former NCAA soccer player Sophia Lorey, Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Brown, and California state superintendent candidate Sonja Shaw. He characterized Steyer's position as "wildly extreme" and "totally out of touch with most California families and young people." He was equally harsh toward Xavier Becerra, the other major Democratic frontrunner, calling him "pathetic" and describing him as a career politician beholden to the Democratic machine—someone who would never stand up to the party's left wing.
The Hernandez case has become the focal point of California's broader reckoning with transgender participation in school sports. Last year, Hernandez won two girls' state titles, drawing national attention and sparking fierce debate. The controversy deepened in the fall when Hernandez joined the girls' volleyball team at Jurupa Valley. Multiple opposing teams forfeited matches rather than compete. Two of Hernandez's own teammates stepped away from the team and filed a Title IX lawsuit against the school district, alleging that allowing a male athlete in the girls' locker room violated their rights and created an unsafe environment.
Now, as Hernandez returned to track competition this spring, the California Interscholastic Federation introduced a pilot program designed to address the competitive disparity: any female athlete who finished behind Hernandez would be awarded one spot higher in the standings, allowing Hernandez to share podium positions with female competitors. The policy has drawn criticism from multiple directions, including from Hernandez's own mother. This same program will remain in effect through the state finals scheduled for the coming weekend.
Hilton laid out his governing strategy if elected. He pledged to immediately suspend AB 1266, the 2013 law that opened the door to transgender athlete participation in school sports, while pursuing legal proceedings to overturn it entirely. He argued the law violated the California state constitution. "The first thing we have to do is overturn the law that set all this in motion," he said. "That law violates the California state constitution... I will immediately suspend the law while we begin legal proceedings to overturn it."
When asked about the rights of transgender athletes and their families, Hilton offered a measured response that attempted to balance competing interests. "I absolutely respect the right of people to live their lives the way they want," he said. "If parents want their children to participate in a particular way, then they should figure that out, but not in a way that hurts the majority." He framed the issue as one of numbers: a small population imposing its preferences on the vast majority, causing harm in the process. "People's rights must be protected, but they cannot be protected at the cost of the vast majority," he said.
Hilton's positioning appears calculated to align with prevailing public opinion. A survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found that roughly 65 percent of Californians and 71 percent of public school parents support requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams matching the sex they were assigned at birth, rather than their gender identity. By taking this stance just days before the primary, Hilton has staked out territory that polls suggest resonates with a substantial majority of voters, while Steyer's vocal support for Hernandez places him on the minority side of the question. The state has become the epicenter of this national debate, and the primary election will test whether voters reward or punish candidates based on their positions.
Notable Quotes
Tom Steyer has taken a wildly extreme position on this issue that is totally out of touch with most California families and young people.— Steve Hilton
I'm so proud of you for what you're doing, and I hope you win the girls' championships.— Tom Steyer, in video message to AB Hernandez
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did Hilton choose this moment, five days before the primary, to make this his focus?
Because Steyer just posted that video of support for Hernandez. It was a gift—a concrete, recent action he could point to and say, "This is what my opponent actually believes." It made the abstract debate suddenly very real and very current.
But Steyer was just being supportive of a young athlete. Why is that disqualifying?
For Hilton's voters, it's not about the athlete as a person. It's about what they see as a violation of fairness in competition. When you have female athletes filing lawsuits and forfeiting matches, that becomes a story about whose rights matter more. Steyer's support reads to them as indifference to those concerns.
The CIF's pilot program—awarding higher placements to athletes who finish behind Hernandez—that seems like an attempt to solve the problem. Why is it still controversial?
Because it doesn't actually solve anything. It just acknowledges the problem exists while keeping the original competition intact. Hernandez still competes, still wins, and now the other athletes get a consolation prize. It's a Band-Aid on a fundamental disagreement about what's fair.
What about Hernandez's mother criticizing the policy? That's interesting.
It is. It suggests that even within the trans community, there's no consensus on how this should work. The mother may see the pilot program as patronizing or as an admission that her child's participation is inherently problematic. That complexity gets lost when politicians reduce it to a simple yes-or-no question.
Hilton says he respects trans people's rights but can't let them hurt the majority. Is that a coherent position?
It depends on whether you believe the harm is real and measurable. If you do, then yes—it's a reasonable balancing act. If you think the harm is exaggerated or that the real issue is discrimination, then it sounds like he's using "majority rights" as cover for exclusion. The polling suggests most Californians agree with Hilton, but polling doesn't settle what's actually fair.