Republican podcaster and former Fox News host Steve Hilton jumped into the California governor’s race Tuesday, with a formal announcement in Huntington Beach.
According to his campaign, Hilton is seeking the governor’s office with a theme of “Golden Again: Great Jobs, Great Homes, Great Kids.”
Speaking to supporters in Huntington Beach Tuesday, Hilton blamed the state’s historically Democratic leaders of failing to make the state livable.
“The highest rate of poverty in the country. These people, they endlessly lecture us about compassion and social justice — the highest rate of poverty,” Hilton said. “One-third of Californians can’t meet their basic needs. The highest unemployment they gave us. The highest taxes. The lowest income growth last year.”
Hilton posted a video online Monday discussing his gubernatorial aspirations, saying in part that it’s “time for a new future” in California.
Hilton, 55, was born in the United Kingdom and was an adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron before moving to California’s Silicon Valley in 2012, becoming a U.S. citizen and teaching at Stanford University. He hosted “The Next Revolution” on Fox News and has hosted a number of politically focused podcasts.
He is also the founder of Golden Together, a policy organization aimed at finding solutions for homelessness and other issues in an effort to “make California golden again.”
One other Republican, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, has already announced a bid for the governor’s office. A host of Democrats have joined the race — former congressman and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, state schools chief Tony Thurmond, former Controller Betty Yee, former state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins and entrepreneur Stephen Cloobeck.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris is said to be considering a gubernatorial run, but she has not yet announced her intentions.