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Steve Hilton
Republican · Governor, California
2026 General Election
Steve Hilton is a British-American political commentator and author who served as a senior advisor to British Prime Minister David Cameron from 2010 to 2012. He moved to California and became a Fox News host and commentator. He is the Trump-endorsed Republican candidate for California governor in 2026, running in a state where Republicans have not won a statewide race since 2006. He describes himself as a populist outsider who would shake up California's political establishment.
Views on the Issues
Gov. Hilton’s stated positions alongside Democratic and Republican party platforms. Sources cited below each position. MyPolity does not editorialize.
Democratic Platform
Steve Hilton
Republican Platform
Economy & Taxes
Democratic Platform
Democrats support progressive taxation, with higher rates on top earners and corporations to fund public investment. The party favors raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions, and expanding worker protections. Democrats generally support government investment in infrastructure, education, and social programs as drivers of broad economic growth.Steve Hilton
Hilton supports dramatic tax cuts, deregulation, and reducing California's cost of doing business to reverse the flight of businesses and residents to lower-tax states. He has been a critic of California's regulatory environment as among the most burdensome in the nation and supports streamlining permitting, reducing the tax burden on working Californians, and attracting investment back to the state.Republican Platform
Republicans favor lower taxes across income levels, with particular emphasis on cutting corporate and capital gains taxes to stimulate investment and job creation. The party supports deregulation, reduced government spending, and free market solutions over federal programs as the primary engine of prosperity.Healthcare
Democratic Platform
Democrats support expanding access to affordable healthcare, including protecting the Affordable Care Act and moving toward a public option or expanded Medicare coverage. The party broadly favors government negotiation of prescription drug prices and opposes removing protections for pre-existing conditions.Steve Hilton
Hilton opposes government-run healthcare and the expansion of state healthcare programs, instead backing market-based approaches that increase competition and consumer choice. He has been critical of California's healthcare mandates and supports reforms that lower costs through competition and price transparency rather than government administration.Republican Platform
Republicans have generally sought to repeal or significantly reform the Affordable Care Act, favoring market-based solutions. The party supports expanding health savings accounts, increasing competition among insurers across state lines, and reducing federal mandates on coverage requirements.Immigration
Democratic Platform
Democrats generally support pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients, and favor comprehensive immigration reform. The party supports increased resources for legal immigration processing and a humanitarian approach to asylum seekers at the border.Steve Hilton
Hilton supports strict border security and enforcement-first immigration policies. He has been a critic of California's sanctuary policies and argues the state's approach to immigration enforcement undermines public safety. He supports cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.Republican Platform
Republicans prioritize border security and strict enforcement of existing immigration law. The party broadly supports completing physical border barriers, ending policies they view as incentivizing illegal entry, and reforming legal immigration to favor applicants with marketable skills.Education
Democratic Platform
Democrats favor robust federal investment in public K-12 education and higher education, along with policies to reduce or eliminate student loan debt. The party generally opposes using public funds for private school vouchers and supports universal pre-K and affordable childcare.Steve Hilton
Hilton supports expanded school choice and parental rights in education. He has been critical of California's public school performance and backs competition through charter schools and education savings accounts as mechanisms to improve outcomes. He opposes what he describes as ideologically driven curriculum content and supports parental control over children's education.Republican Platform
Republicans support school choice, including voucher programs for private and religious schools, and local control over curriculum decisions. The party generally opposes federal education mandates and broadly supports parental rights in schooling. Many Republicans oppose student loan forgiveness as unfair to borrowers who repaid their loans.Gun Policy
Democratic Platform
Democrats broadly support stricter gun safety measures, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The party frames these regulations as consistent with the Second Amendment and necessary to reduce mass shootings.Steve Hilton
Hilton has criticized California's gun regulations as among the most restrictive in the nation and supports Second Amendment rights. He argues many of California's gun laws are ineffective at reducing crime while burdening law-abiding gun owners, and backs a review of the state's firearms regulations.Republican Platform
Republicans strongly defend Second Amendment rights and generally oppose new gun control legislation, arguing that existing laws should be enforced more effectively. The party emphasizes mental health intervention, the right to self-defense, and opposes what they view as infringement on law-abiding gun owners.Climate & Energy
Democratic Platform
Democrats view climate change as an urgent crisis requiring immediate government action. The party supports transitioning to clean energy through federal investment and regulation, reducing carbon emissions across the economy, and meeting international climate commitments. Democrats generally oppose expanding fossil fuel development on public lands.Steve Hilton
Hilton has been skeptical of California's aggressive climate mandates, arguing they raise costs for Californians and have contributed to the state's energy affordability crisis. He supports energy reliability and affordability as primary considerations and has criticized the state's electric vehicle mandates and renewable energy requirements as imposing hardship on working-class Californians.Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize American energy independence through domestic production of oil, gas, and coal alongside renewable development. Many in the party are skeptical of aggressive climate regulations they argue harm economic growth and jobs. Republicans generally prefer market-based energy solutions over government mandates and oppose restrictions that raise energy costs for families.Foreign Policy
Democratic Platform
Democrats generally support a multilateral approach to foreign policy, emphasizing alliances, international institutions, and diplomacy as the first line of engagement. The party broadly supports maintaining NATO commitments, providing aid to democratic allies, and engaging international bodies to address shared challenges.Steve Hilton
Hilton supports a strong America First foreign policy and has been a Trump ally on foreign policy. He backs strong support for Israel and U.S. allies and has been critical of multilateral institutions he argues do not serve American interests. As a governor candidate he engages foreign policy through California's massive trade relationships with Asia and its role as a gateway to international commerce.Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize American sovereignty, a strong military as a deterrent, and bilateral relationships over multilateral institutions. The party broadly supports robust defense spending and is skeptical of international agreements they view as constraining American action or requiring open-ended foreign commitments.Social Security
Democratic Platform
Democrats oppose cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits and support expanding both programs. The party generally favors raising the Social Security payroll tax cap on high earners to ensure long-term solvency and opposes any form of privatization.Steve Hilton
Hilton supports protecting Social Security and Medicare for current and near-retirees. He backs long-term structural reforms to ensure program solvency for younger workers while protecting benefits that people have already earned through decades of contributions.Republican Platform
Republicans support reforming Social Security and Medicare to ensure long-term fiscal solvency, which some in the party argue requires adjusting benefits or eligibility ages. The party opposes tax increases to fund the programs and some members have supported personal investment account options.Criminal Justice
Democratic Platform
Democrats broadly support criminal justice reform, including reducing mandatory minimum sentences, addressing racial disparities in policing and incarceration, and investing in community-based alternatives. The party generally supports police accountability measures and evidence-based approaches to reducing recidivism.Steve Hilton
Hilton has made public safety a central campaign issue, criticizing California's criminal justice reform efforts as contributing to rising crime rates and homelessness. He supports stronger sentencing, opposition to progressive prosecution policies, and restoring consequences for property crime and drug use that he argues have been weakened by recent California ballot measures and legislation.Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize law and order, strong support for law enforcement, and tough penalties for crime. The party generally opposes reducing mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenses and supports prosecutors pursuing strong sentences. Republicans broadly oppose policies they view as undermining police authority or creating leniency for criminals.About these profiles. Party platform positions are drawn from the 2024 Democratic and Republican national platforms. Candidate positions are sourced from official statements, voting records, and campaign websites. MyPolity does not editorialize or endorse any candidate.