Republican Steve Hilton Campaigns for Governor in Santa Barbara, Promotes ‘Califordable’ Agenda

Framing California as “the worst-performing state in America,” Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton brought a campaign centered on housing costs, homelessness, mental health, and immigration enforcement to Santa Barbara on Saturday, arguing that voters are ready for a break from a 16-year Democratic control. Hilton, a Hungarian-born immigrant who advised British Prime Minister David Cameron and the former host of Fox News’ The Next Revolution, told the town hall crowd of more than 140 at the Central Library that he’s running for governor to “take back” a state he says has lost its way.

Hilton is one of at least 10 candidates running in California’s June 2, 2026, open primary for governor. Term limits prevent Governor Gavin Newsom — widely viewed as positioning himself for a potential presidential bid — from seeking reelection, leaving the race wide open. Under California’s top-two primary system, all candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of party, and the two highest vote-getters advance to the November 4 general election. Early polling compiled by The New York Times shows Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco among the leading candidates, with both Republicans polling in the mid to high teens in several February surveys from institutions around California. While Democrats hold a strong statewide registration advantage, a crowded field of nine Democratic candidates has raised concerns among party leaders that vote-splitting in June could allow two Republicans to advance to the general election — a scenario considered unlikely but mathematically possible.

Hilton devoted a significant portion of his remarks to housing affordability, arguing that state regulations, union-backed labor agreements, and environmental litigation have contributed to rising construction costs. “Three or four times as expensive to build the exact same floor plan in California as in a neighboring state. That’s not an accident,” he said.

He pointed to environmental lawsuits as a major factor, saying that “70 percent of environmental lawsuits in California are used to block housing,” and criticized development impact fees, describing them as “basically a tax on new families” that ultimately increases home prices. Hilton also expressed opposition to density-focused housing policies, saying, “They say we can’t build out, only build up. That’s not California.” He framed his approach as an effort to preserve single-family homeownership, adding, “In California, people want single-family homes to raise their families. That’s the California dream. We can restore the California dream — a home you can afford to buy.”

Hilton also highlighted his background as a legal immigrant while describing his position on immigration enforcement. “I am a legal immigrant. I am very clear: sanctuary policies will end,” he said, committing to reverse California’s sanctuary state laws.

“We will not have sanctuary policies of any kind in California,” he continued, adding that his administration would be “a clear and willing partner with the federal government to make sure that all laws — federal, state, and local — are fully enforced.” Framing the issue around what he described as the rule of law, Hilton said, “We celebrate immigration when it’s done the right way. But you do it the right way.”

Hilton was joined at Saturday’s town hall by his running mate, Gloria Romero, a former Democrat senator, who echoed his words. “We want to have reasonable, sound immigration policy …,” Romero said.

Another concern raised by members of the public was homelessness, along with mental health in California. A member of the audience asked Hilton how he would handle what they described as the state’s struggles with drug addiction and mental illness, noting limited treatment options, a lack of intermediate care, and difficulties for individuals transitioning back into housing.

Hilton framed California’s homelessness crisis as closely tied to mental health and substance use issues, emphasizing the need for more treatment options. He said many people living on the streets have severe mental health conditions that often intersect with addiction, and that current state resources are inadequate. “We have a massive shortage of beds and facilities in California,” he said, noting that people with mental illness frequently cycle through jails rather than receiving proper care.

Hilton criticized recent state policies that he said reduced funding for mental health services in favor of affordable housing programs, and he expressed support for reversing those cuts. He also pointed to federal and state rules that limit the size of mental health facilities, arguing that they prevent adequate treatment. Hilton highlighted that California needs more accessible and flexible mental health and addiction treatment programs to help people “get their life back on track” and reduce homelessness.

On abortion, Hilton said he wants to promote policies that he believes will “make California a more family-friendly state” and reduce demand for the procedure. He stated that he wants to “move us toward life in ways that are achievable and realistic,” including addressing affordability challenges that he said discourage people from starting families. Hilton also called for greater encouragement of responsibility around pregnancy, discouraging unwanted pregnancies and increased support for adoption, and said he would oppose the use of public funds to facilitate out‑of‑state abortion travel.