It's Official: Fox News' Steve Hilton Will Run for California Governor

Hilton has extensive government and media experience

Author, activist and Fox News contributor Steve Hilton announced on Monday his plans to run for the Governor of California in the upcoming 2026 election cycle.

Is this a continuation of the Fox-ification of America?

It’s no accident President Trump has chosen many figures from right-of-center media. These people come with their own professional qualifications, but also represent an “outsider” mentality, one that comes with the advantageous layer of an investigative/curious approach to authority.

Hilton enjoyed ratings success as the host of ‘The Next Revolution w/Steve Hilton’ on Fox News, and is now a popular floating commentator on the network. But the Hungarian immigrant, by way of the United Kingdom, has been campaigning on behalf of fixing California for well over a year with his organization, Golden Together. Even before the specter of Trump’s cabinet picks, Hilton was criss-crossing the state, polling average Californians and workshopping solutions for the state’s multiple policy boondoggles.

In short, Hilton is no “Fox News” politician. He’s been taking California’s unprecedented decline very seriously for years now.

Full disclosure, Hilton is a personal friend of mine. We met years ago when I was a guest on his show, and our shared passion for California has led us to work together in varying ways ever since. When I interviewed him on my podcast a few weeks ago, I asked him to comment publicly on the rumors swirling around his candidacy. He told me he’d only consider it if he thought he could win.

And the thing is, Kira, I really only want to do it if, going back to what we said earlier, in a serious way, that is that we can win. And so you've got to have a lot of elements in place.

It looks like he has those elements in place, and as I’ve been saying aloud for months now (and been ridiculed mercilessly for it), is that California has never been more ripe for a political flip. Yes, shenanigans are still at play in our electoral system - Barabara Lee just won the mayorship of Oakland and audits of county elections across the state are revealing disturbing anomalies. There will be an uphill battle for any Republican candidate, but we’ve never had a better chance to win than we do now.

Winning will require good strategy, dignified candidates, and leaders who are willing to speak plainly about common sense solutions to common sense issues. Hilton reflected as much during our podcast conversation.

California means to America what America means to the world.

And what I mean by that is that we represent or should represent the best of America. It was an inspiration to me like years back in England before we even came here. I was in love with what my vision of California was, which was American Dream and the best version of that. And also there's a kind of edge to it, which I love, which I think of California as like...the ultimate kind of rebel spirit as well as the nice warm, there's a sort of warmth to it. The sunshine, the beaches. Yeah, it's really nice, slightly hippie-ish. I love that too. But there's also kind of rebel aspect. Like, no, we do our own thing. That's why what we've got going on right now is so un-Californian. This ridiculous nanny state bossiness telling everyone what to do. You drive this car, use this, your food the way we tell you. It's just like, what are you talking about? That's not California.

There's a very specific idea of California that I'm in love with, I feel strongly about, and I wanna fight for. And so, you know, one way or another, we're gonna make it happen. That's my view.

Hilton will host a launch event at the pier in Huntington Beach on Tuesday morning.

What are your thoughts on a Hilton run for Governor of California? Does he have a shot? Will he make a good candidate?

Let me know in the comments.

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