Steve Hilton — the former Fox News personality and longtime conservative commentator — announced Monday that he is running for governor of California.
That makes him the second major Republican to enter the crowded field hoping to replace incumbent Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2026. Newsom cannot seek re-election because of term limits.
The British-born Hilton, 55, is best known for his former role as host of The Next Revolution on Fox News, where he championed populist, anti-establishment ideas and frequently praised former President Donald Trump. Before his American media career, Hilton was a tech entrepreneur and senior adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Today, he lives in Atherton with his wife and two sons. This year, he released the book “Califailure: Reversing the Ruin of America’s Worst-Run State,” which chronicled what Hilton says are years of Democratic rule that have created ineffective government.
“We’ve got to end the one-party rule that got us into this mess,” Hilton said in a video posted to social media Monday.
Political experts characterize Hilton’s bid as a long shot. California has not elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly two to one, and no GOP candidate has won a statewide office since 2010.
“It’s an extremely steep uphill fight for him,” said Dan Schnur, who teaches political messaging at the University of Southern California and UC Berkeley. “Republicans have made some strides in the state over the last few years, but winning at the top of the ticket a statewide race is a much, much bigger leap forward.”
The presumed favorite in the race has not even announced her candidacy: Vice President Kamala Harris. If she enters the race, as many expect her to, that could clear much of the Democratic field.
But Hilton could be eager for a showdown with Harris.
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“It’s time to end the years of Democrat failure,” he says over an image of Harris in his announcement video.
In California’s open primary system, in which the top two candidates regardless of party head to the November ballot, Republicans typically try to throw their weight behind a single candidate. So far, Hilton’s main competition for Republican support is Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who announced his candidacy in February.
Other Democratic candidates in the race include current Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, former leader of the state Senate, Toni Atkins, and former state controller Betty Yee.
