Steve Hilton, former Fox News host, presents himself for the Governor of California

Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host who also worked in conservative policy in Britain, announced on Monday that he was showing up to become the next governor of California.

Mr. Hilton is the second eminent republican to participate in the race in 2026, but he faces difficult chances since California voters have not elected a republican at a state -scale office since they re -elected Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006.

Governor Gavin Newsom cannot present himself to his re -election because of the limits of the mandate, creating a Grand Open competition which has already attracted several elected Democrats and Chad Bianco, the republican sheriff of the county of Riverside.

The land waits for the former vice-president Kamala Harris, however, if she will enter the race. If it does, several Democrats could end their deference to Ms. Harris, presidential candidate for their party last year. But its entry could have the opposite effect with republican hopes, which could be impatient to take the old vice-president.

Mr. Hilton, 55, was a supporter of President Donald J. Trump. But during recent media appearances, he tried to avoid cultural war problems and focused more on reducing costs and regulations for Californian companies, reducing the cost of state in the state, limits crime and reducing homelessness.

California remains a strongly democratic state. But Mr. Hilton may hope that the change of the electorate in the presidential election of last year will benefit his campaign. In 2024, Trump overthrew 10 California counties which he had lost in 2020, and the voters in the whole state massively adopted a measure which facilitated the continuation of the theft and the crimes linked to drugs.