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Author and FOX News contributor Steve Hilton told the network that he's entered the California gubernatorial race as a Republican candidate.
"A big decision that I've made, which I can now share with you, that I am, in fact, going to be running for governor of California for 2026. I love this state. It's the best place in the world as far as I'm concerned," Hilton said in an exclusive interview with FOX News Digital on Monday (April 21).
"But after 15 years of one-party rule, this state is barely recognizable. And I honestly think that the 2026 election in California is a life-or-death moment because if we continue with this one-party rule by the Democrats, things are just gonna really start to deteriorate very rapidly," he added.
Hilton, 55, hosted The Next Revolution on FOX News from 2017 to 2013 and is a proponent of what he calls "positive populism," having recently authored the book Califailure: Reversing the Ruin of America's Worst-Run State. The London, England, native also publicly announced his campaign at an event in Huntington Beach on Monday.
Hilton immediately received an endorsement from former presidential candidate and current Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy following his announcement.
"Steve Hilton represents American excellence. He’s a great entrepreneur & communicator, and he’ll be a dominant Governor of California," Ramaswamy wrote on his X account. "I’ve known him for years & enjoyed welcoming him to Ohio for our launch in Feb. He has my full endorsement."
The California gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, and decide the successor to Democratic Gov. Gain Newsom, who will be term-limited and ineligible for reelection. Vice President Kamala Harris, who previously served as the state's senator from 2017 to 2021, has long been suspected to enter the California gubernatorial race, which wouldn't hinder plans to once again run for president in 2028, but hasn't officially announced her intention publicly.