Can This Brit Turn California Red? Steve Hilton Isn't Holding Back

Steve Hilton, the Republican nominee for governor of California, is not mincing words about his opponent, Xavier Becerra. In an interview on Newsweek's The 1600 podcast, Hilton called Becerra a "pathetic little pipsqueak" and described him as "a smug, lazy, arrogant, entitled nothing of a person." Hilton, who became a U.S. citizen in 2021, has campaigned across California's 58 counties, hearing the same message from voters everywhere: they want change.

Becerra, a Mexican American Democrat, recently made headlines after a testy exchange with Hilton during a CNN debate. The dispute came when Becerra accused Hilton of welcoming immigrants who look like him but deporting those who look like him. Hilton dismissed this claim as "ludicrous" and emphasized his own immigrant background, noting that his parents were refugees from communism.

Hilton's campaign message centers on the idea that California has been governed by a single party for 16 years, which he believes is unhealthy. He advocates for a simple solution: voters should vote for change. Hilton proposes a flat tax, starting at zero for the first $150,000 of earnings and 8% above that. He also pledges to lower gas prices to $3 a gallon and end the DMV. Critics argue that these promises are unrealistic, but Hilton insists he will deliver on his platform.

Hilton's platform also includes opposition to federal cuts to the University of California, a request for the Federal Communications Commission to reconsider its decision on rural phone service, and a rejection of the idea that he would deport every undocumented farmworker in California. He maintains that his tax proposals address the needs of low-income residents, even if the current brackets seem to place them in a higher tax bracket.