Steve Hilton hits Dem governor’s 2028 pitch by calling out Newsom’s rail record
Republican Steve Hilton challenged Democratic Governor Andy Beshear’s case for a governor leading the party’s 2028 presidential ticket, pointing to California’s unfinished high-speed rail project during a television discussion. The exchange matters because Gavin Newsom, who has not announced a presidential campaign, was raised as a possible contender, and Hilton is using the project to criticise his record.
California voters approved nearly $10 billion in bonds for the rail project in 2008. An April estimate put the cost of the full system at about $126 billion, against an original estimate of $33 billion, and reported that no high-speed track had been laid. The rail authority’s 2026 plan estimates $35.7 billion to complete the Merced-to-Bakersfield section, with service targeted for 2033; about $15.7 billion had been spent through February. A state inspector general also identified travel expenses that appeared to breach regulations or contract terms.
In short
- Hilton used California’s rail project to challenge Beshear’s pitch for a Democratic governor.
- The full project estimate has risen from $33 billion to about $126 billion.
- The initial Merced-to-Bakersfield service is targeted for 2033.
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The case for
Critics can argue that the rail project’s sharp cost growth, missed expectations and lack of laid high-speed track raise legitimate questions about stewardship of public money. A candidate associated with the project’s oversight should be pressed to explain what went wrong and why voters should trust similar promises in future.
The case against
Defenders can argue that the project is a long-term infrastructure undertaking whose costs, scope and delivery have been affected by changing plans and funding constraints; the Merced-to-Bakersfield section remains a defined goal, with a current cost estimate and target date. They may also say that problems in a large public project deserve scrutiny but do not, by themselves, settle a prospective candidate’s broader qualifications or responsibility for every decision.
Explained simply
California’s high-speed rail project was approved by voters in 2008, who backed nearly $10 billion in bonds. It was planned as a fast rail link between the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, with an initial section in the state’s Central Valley.
Gavin Newsom is California’s governor, while Andy Beshear is Kentucky’s governor; both are Democrats. Steve Hilton is a Republican commentator who has used the rail project to criticise Newsom’s record, as Newsom is sometimes mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential candidate in 2028.
The project has faced delays and rising cost estimates. Its future matters in state politics because it involves public spending and a major transport plan, and its progress is being used in arguments about Newsom’s leadership.