As reported by RedState, the contest has already exposed a deeply troubled Democratic field, marred by scandal and ideological extremism. Just days ago, disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D) abruptly exited the race after at least five women accused him of sexual harassment or assault, triggering a Justice Department investigation announced on April 16.
The contrast between Hilton and his Democratic rivals could hardly be sharper, both in temperament and in policy vision. One striking difference is that Hilton now leads the latest Emerson poll in California’s notoriously chaotic “jungle primary,” drawing 16 percent support, with fellow Republican Chad Bianco close behind at 14 percent, while he also secured a coveted endorsement from President Donald Trump earlier this month.
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During a Sunday interview with The Hill’s Chris Stirewalt, Hilton was pressed on whether he believed both he and Bianco could emerge from the primary and advance to the November general election. His response left no room for wishful thinking or intra-party fantasy.
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“I’ve never thought that’s a realistic possibility,” he told Stirewalt. “You’ve got the massive financial power of the government unions and their corrupt relationship with the Democrat politicians. You’ve got the billionaire Tom Steyer. They will spend whatever it takes to make sure that there’s a Democrat in the top two.”
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Hilton warned that the real danger for conservatives is not a split Republican vote, but the possibility that no GOP candidate survives the top-two primary at all. In his view, that scenario would hand Democrats a blank check to continue the same failed policies that have driven residents and businesses out of the state.
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“That actually is the scenario I think we really need to be worried about and that we need to unite behind the leading Republican." For Hilton, party unity is not a talking point but a strategic necessity in a state where public-sector unions and progressive billionaires dominate the political landscape.
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Stirewalt attempted to shift the conversation to national politics, citing a June 2025 Public Policy Institute of California poll showing President Trump’s approval at “just 29 percent of California adults approve of Trump, including 82 percent of Republicans, 31 percent of independents and six percent of Democrats.” That line of questioning reflected the broader media effort to nationalize the race and tether every Republican to Trump, regardless of the office they seek.
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Hilton pushed back, reminding Stirewalt of a basic but critical fact: while his name and Bianco’s appear on the California ballot, Donald Trump’s does not. The former White House adviser insisted that voters are far more concerned with their daily reality than with Beltway obsessions.
“This election is going to be about the future of California and the fact that we’re desperate for change in California," Hilton said. For a state battered by high taxes, rampant crime, and a spiraling cost of living, that message aims squarely at the frustrations of ordinary families and small-business owners.
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Hilton then laid out what amounted to an opening argument for this week’s gubernatorial debate, making clear that Democrats—not Republicans—own California’s decline. He pointed to the state’s punishing tax burden, exploding homelessness, and decaying public order as the direct result of progressive governance.
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“That’s entirely due to Democrat policies after 16 years of one-party rule. That’s the argument that I’ll be making in the debate on Wednesday and then into the general election. “Why would you expect a different result if you keep voting the same way? The answer for California is not another Democrat. It’s a completely new direction and that’s what I’m offering.”
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In a separate Zoom interview with Newsweek, Hilton sharpened his critique of the status quo and underscored the urgency of political change. He portrayed California not as a progressive success story, but as a cautionary tale of what happens when left-wing ideology goes unchecked.
“California is desperate for change. Everything’s heading in the wrong direction. It’s really a disaster, and we’re desperate for a change.” He added that, "[i]f the campaign for California governor is about California…then I will win. If the Democrats succeed…to make the California governor’s race about national politics, then the headwinds…will come into play.”
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For conservatives, Hilton’s strategy is straightforward: keep the spotlight on Sacramento’s failures, not Washington’s drama, and force Democrats to defend the record they have built over more than a decade of unchallenged power. Republicans cannot afford to let the left and its media allies turn a state-level referendum on crime, taxes, and homelessness into yet another tribal fight over Trump.
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Every Californian who is weary of tent cities, fleeing employers, and confiscatory taxes now faces a clear choice between more of the same or a genuine course correction. That choice begins in the primary, where voters who want to break the cycle of one-party rule must turn out and back a Republican, or risk watching Democrats walk unopposed into another term of mismanagement.
