The Silicon Valley Conservative and entrepreneur, Steve Hilton, announced on Monday that he presented himself to the post of governor, the second eminent Republican to participate in the race in 2026 to replace the Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.
“California means for America what America means to the world. Let’s make California again the land of opportunity-big jobs, big houses, big children. Let’s make California again, the best in America,” he said in a video of almost three minutes published online. “There is only one way to do it. We have to end the rule to a party that brought us into this mess. It is time to finish the years of democratic failure. It is time for a new future. This is why I run for the governor, to make this beautiful state that we love so really gold.”
Hilton, who provides for an official campaign advertisement in Huntington Beach on Tuesday, faces abrupt chances of the race for the governor. The Californians have elected Republican candidates for the last time on the level of the state in 2006, and state residents have become more liberal since then. However, there is growing frustration about problems such as crime, inflation and the cost of living.
“Fortune promotes the daring. It is a difficult battle for a republican to win an office on a state scale, but if daring people like Steve do not emerge, the Republicans will not win,” said Conyers Davis, adviser to former Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Davis met Hilton for the first time when the conservative chief David Cameron, of England, went at the time. The Schwarzenegger cigar smoke tent in the State in Sacramento in 2008 and worked with him on the 2010 successful campaign of Cameron to become Prime Minister.
In addition, the primary system of the State jungle, in which the two candidates who receive the most votes during the June 2026 primary in the general elections, whatever the party, the bad republicans have a decent chance of securing one of the spots in the November Bulletin.
This is partly because the democratic vote can be fractured by the large number of democrats who arise – Lieutenant-Governor Eleni Kounalakis,, The head of state schools Tony Thurmondformer American secretary for health and social services Xavier Becerra,, former state controller Betty Yee,, Former representative Katie PorterFormer President of the State Senate Pro Toni Atkins,, The former mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa And Businessman Stephen Cloobeck.
In addition, Former vice-president Kamala Harris Pass an offer and should make a decision by the end of the summer.
On the republican side, Sheriff of the County of Riverside Chad Bianco is the only candidate for the eminent GOP who had previously announced that he would present himself. So, if the Democratic voters Splinter, Bianco or Hilton could win one of the first two places, despite the inclination of the deep blue of the state.
Hilton, 55, is the son of Hungarian immigrants who fled their homeland during a revolution in 1956. He was born in England and after graduating from Oxford, Hilton worked in politics and advertising. He then founded “Good Business”, a consulting company that advised businesses such as Nike and McDonald’s on ethical capitalism.
Described as “partly Svengali, a doctor in part, partially strategist” by the London standard in 2006, Hilton was a senior and confidant advisor close to Cameron, who was British Prime Minister from 2010 to 2016.
Hilton was recognized for the modernization of the British conservative movement, remaining faithful to the ideals of the free market while supporting liberal social policy, such as support for the rights of homosexuals and the fight against climate change.
The reports on Hilton’s time at 10 Downing St. Paint it like a charismatic but eccentric and idiosyncratic figure, regularly carrying t-shirts, jeans or pants on track, cycling equipment and no prominent shoes in the Prime Minister’s formal and slowed residence.
He also made the headlines for having made around $ 450,000 per year in 2006, a salary that overshadowed Cameron’s compensation, according to the observer. And he broke with Cameron by supporting Brexit, the successful effort of 2016 for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.
Hilton immigrated to California in 2012 with his wife, Rachel Whetstone, who worked as a public relations manager at Google, Uber, Facebook and Netflix. He became an American citizen in 2021. The couple lives in the rich community of Silicon Valley in Atherton and has two children.
Since he moved to the United States, Hilton has taught at Stanford University, has organized a Fox news program entitled “The Next Revolution” and has co-founded Crowdpac, a non-partisan political fundraising website. He and the company separated in 2018 after his full support to President Trump caused controversy. Villaraigosa reduced links to the company during its offense to the 2018 governor without success because of the Kerfuffle.
Despite positioning as a populist who supported the policy of both parties, Hilton’s vocal support for Trump, in particular by calling for an investigation into potential electoral fraud during the 2020 presidential election, and other controversial opinions will be almost certainly raised in the campaign.
But Hilton Silicon Valley’s relations with billionaires such as venture capital Chamath Palihapitiya and former director general of Google, Eric Schmidt, could be a boon for his governor campaign.
In 2023, Hilton founded Golden Together, a research group focused on the restoration of California’s dream. Among the objectives of the group’s policy are the commercial climate of the State, homelessness, crime, affordable housing and the management of forest fires. His advisory council includes Lanhee Chen, former presidential campaign advisor to Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio; Gloria Romero, a former head of the Senate of the Democratic State who is now a republican; The former mayor of San Diego, Kevin Faulconer and Davis.
“He is someone who is sincerely interested in working to meet some of the challenges that California is confronted,” said Chen, a speaker from Stanford who presented himself without success for the state controller in 2022 and was launched as a potential candidate on the level of the state or the congress. Chen said he weighed his options, but is a supporter of Hilton because of his accent on politics and substance.
“He is the basis of a political guy,” said Chen, “and has a lot of ideas to meet these challenges.”
California Daily Newspapers
