Politics news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Steve Hilton admits Trump unpopularity sank run for California governor, vows to keep fighting
Steve Hilton has accepted that opposition to Donald Trump helped defeat his bid to become California governor, while saying he may run for office again. He lost decisively to Democrat Xavier Becerra, but says he plans to keep advocating for Californians facing high living costs.
With 5,268,634 votes, or 64.4%, Becerra extended Democrats’ 16-year hold on the governorship; Hilton received 2,917,832 votes, or 35.6%, with counting still under way. Hilton said national issues, including anger over an ICE Halloween video, overshadowed his campaign, but rejected claims that reported voting problems undermine the result. He intends to act as a “loyal opposition”, pressing for lower petrol prices, more affordable housing and better conditions for small businesses.
In short
- Hilton says Trump’s unpopularity contributed to his defeat.
- Becerra won 64.4% of the reported vote.
- Hilton may run again and will keep pressing for cost relief.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Hilton’s supporters could argue that his campaign addressed urgent pressures on Californians, including high living costs, housing affordability and the difficulties facing small businesses. They may see his pledge to scrutinise the government as a useful democratic role, and contend that national controversies distracted voters from these state-level concerns.
The case against
Critics could argue that voters were entitled to weigh Hilton’s political associations and views on national issues when deciding whether to trust him with the governorship. Becerra’s decisive lead suggests broad support for continuity under Democratic leadership, while Hilton’s own rejection of claims that voting problems invalidated the result supports accepting the outcome as legitimate.
Elections Government Politics World