CALIFORNIA — Steve Hilton launched his general election campaign for California governor on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. The Republican gubernatorial candidate vowed to reduce the price of gasoline to $3 per gallon, cut residents' utility bills in half, and eliminate state income taxes on the first $150,000 of earnings.

The campaign launch event took place in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. Gloria Romero accompanied Hilton at the launch, standing as the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor of California. Romero is a former Democratic state lawmaker who switched parties in 2024.

Hilton stated in a television advertisement, "Life here has become impossible for anyone who isn’t already rich. Let’s fix California." He addressed voters directly at the campaign launch with a message focused on state priorities. This is not about who you hate in Washington. It’s about what we love about California and what we can do to make California once again the best place anywhere in the country to start and raise a family, to start and run a business. That’s what this election is about. Hilton said at the campaign launch that voters do have a choice if they think that this state is going in the wrong direction.

President Donald Trump has endorsed Hilton in the California gubernatorial race. Hilton called Democrats a rotten regime that has abandoned the working class. He blamed Democrats for homelessness and low student test scores in California.

Jonathan Underland, a Becerra campaign spokesman, rejected Hilton's platform and his connection to the former president. Underland said Californians already know who Steve Hilton is: Trump’s puppet in California. His campaign is a promise to run our state the way Trump runs the country and we’re not buying it.

Underland said Steve Hilton cheers on a president whose illegal war has sent gas prices soaring and illegal tariffs have cost California families more than $2,500 this year alone. You can’t fix the affordability crisis while carrying water for the man causing it, according to Underland.

Hilton and Xavier Becerra emerged from a primary election in June 2026 that had more than 50 candidates. Becerra is a former state lawmaker, congressman, and state attorney general. Governor Gavin Newsom is barred by law from seeking a third term as California governor, leaving the top office open for the first time in eight years.

The general election occurs in a state where Democrats hold every statewide office and supermajorities in the California Legislature. Registered Republicans are outnumbered nearly 2-to-1 by Democratic voters in California. A Republican candidate has not won a statewide election in California since 2006. Donald Trump lost California to Hillary Clinton by 30 points in the 2016 presidential election, to Joe Biden by 29 points in the 2020 presidential election, and to Kamala Harris by 20 points in the 2024 presidential election.

Hilton placed full-page advertisements in leading newspapers including the San Francisco Chronicle to promote his launch. He has never held elective office. Hilton is a former adviser to former United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron. Steve Hilton hosted The Next Revolution, a weekly current affairs show, from 2017 to 2023.

Financial disparities between the candidates have widened since the primary. Xavier Becerra raised more than $6 million for his campaign since the June 2026 primary. Steve Hilton raised around $812,000 for his campaign since the June 2026 primary. A Public Policy Institute of California poll found Xavier Becerra leading Steve Hilton 61% to 36% as of July 15, 2026.

Paul Mitchell, vice president of Political Data, analyzed the path forward for the Republican candidate. Mitchell stated that Hilton would need to win support from independent voters and moderate Democrats to have a chance in the election.