CA Governor Candidate Steve Hilton on Why California is Destroying Itself & How a Republican Can Win

Steve Hilton, a British-born Republican and naturalized U.S. citizen, joins the All In podcast to lay out his bold campaign for California governor, positioning himself as a transformative figure in a deeply Democratic state. Drawing from his upbringing as a child of Hungarian refugees and his experience as a senior advisor to UK Prime Minister David Cameron, Hilton frames his candidacy as a mission to reverse California’s economic and social decline. He argues that the state is suffering from a toxic mix of overregulation, union dominance, and ideological policymaking—echoing the UK’s 1970s economic collapse. His centerpiece policy is a progressive tax plan: eliminating state income tax for individuals earning under $100,000 and imposing a flat 7.5% rate on higher earners, funded by cutting state spending and eliminating $425 billion in fraud, waste, and abuse over five years. Hilton’s Cal Doge initiative has already uncovered massive misappropriation of funds in climate, cannabis, and homelessness programs. He also outlines a comprehensive plan to fix housing by dismantling CEQA’s private right of action, capping fees, and ending union-driven project labor agreements. On education, he calls for phonics-based reading instruction and third-grade retention for non-readers, inspired by Mississippi’s success. On crime and homelessness, he advocates for enforcing existing laws, reversing prison closures, and redirecting funds to mental health and recovery treatment. Despite the odds, Hilton believes a Republican can win in 2026 by uniting working-class voters across races with a message of affordability, accountability, and common sense—offering a $3 gas, tax-free income, and a return to functional governance.