Former Fox News Host Says He's 'Seriously Considering Running' for Governor of California
Former Fox News personality Steve Hilton has announced that he is "seriously considering running" for governor of California, which could position him as the first Republican leader of the state in over 15 years.
During a Friday discussion with "2Way Tonight" host Mark Halperin, Hilton disclosed that he is nearing a decision regarding his potential candidacy in the 2026 election cycle—a race in which former Vice President Kamala Harris might also participate.
"The way I'm putting it right now is, Kamala Harris is telling us that she is too, almost using that exact same language, and that she'll make a decision by the end of the summer," Hilton stated.
"I'll make mine much sooner than that," he assured.
California has not had a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger completed his term in early 2011.
Following Schwarzenegger, Democratic leader Jerry Brown returned to office, serving from 2011 to 2019, years after his initial tenure from 1975 to 1983.
The current governor, Democrat Gavin Newsom, has been in office since 2019 and successfully withstood a recall attempt in 2021. However, he will be ineligible to run again in the upcoming cycle due to term limits.
Despite California's strong Democratic lean, Hilton pointed out to Halperin that "there are some interesting signs that should give optimism for Republicans in California."
A Republican victory in a statewide race would require mobilizing the state's substantial yet outnumbered Republican electorate.
"If you look at November last year, not even the share of the vote, the number of votes that Donald Trump got, over 6 million—that number, if you project forward the turnout in a midterm election in California based on the past two midterms—the number of votes that Trump got in California, without really campaigning in California, is higher than what you would need to win in 2026," Hilton explained.
Hilton, originally from England, previously served as a strategy director for former British Prime Minister David Cameron. His potential candidacy would follow a trend of Republicans with media backgrounds attempting statewide bids in California.
Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder, for example, secured a 48.4 percent plurality among candidates aiming to replace Newsom during the 2021 recall effort. However, 61.9 percent of voters ultimately opted to keep Newsom in office.
More recently, former MLB star Steve Garvey was the Republican candidate for the open U.S. Senate seat but was defeated by Democrat Adam Schiff, with a vote margin of 41.1 percent to 58.9 percent.
Hilton reiterated in a Fox News op-ed that a Republican victory is both achievable and essential for California’s future.
"President Donald Trump did better in California than any Republican presidential candidate for decades," he noted. "Republican voter registration has also been increasing while Democrat registration has been falling."
"On Newsom’s watch, California has gone from being America’s crown jewel to its worst-run state. No fair-minded person could come to any other conclusion," Hilton argued.
"So, there you are: this could well be Gavin Newsom’s greatest legacy: flipping California red!"