GOP candidate cites ‘failure’ of Newsom, Dems as new poll shows Republicans leading crowded California field

Steve Hilton, a legal immigrant and political newcomer running as a Republican for governor of California, said the “absolute failure on every front” by current Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democrats means the GOP has a real shot at pulling off an upset in the Golden State.

Though California has long since been written off by many as a progressive stronghold, the most recent polling indicates Hilton may be right.

On Wednesday, Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies released a poll showing Hilton leading California voter preferences at 17 percent. Another Republican, Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, follows at 16 percent. Both Republicans are ahead of the two top Democratic names, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and former Rep. Katie Porter, who are each at 13 percent.

“I know people look at California and assume that it’s going to be Democrat forever. It’s a deep blue state, but people here are sick of it. There’s a revolution brewing in California,” Hilton told Fox News Digital, adding, “This is our year.”

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Hilton, an entrepreneur who immigrated to California from the United Kingdom in 2014, credits Newsom and years of one-party Democratic rule with voters waking up to the “complete disaster” unfolding in California.

“It’s not just the visible signs of failure that you see when you look at California. You know the homelessness crisis, by far the worst in the country. The crime that’s out of control, the smash-and-grab rates, the videos of that — those things are visible. But if you actually look under the hood, as it were, of daily life in California, it is an absolute failure on every front,” he said, emphasizing, “It’s not just that we’re doing badly in California under Gavin Newsom, we are the worst-performing state.”

He said that California’s sanctuary policies are a perfect illustration of this.

“People are infuriated when they see illegal immigrants in our state getting rewarded and getting away with crime and getting away with things that just regular Californians wouldn’t be able to get away with,” he said.

“It’s an insult to regular, hardworking California taxpayers when they see people who are here illegally getting things for free that they have to pay for.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for comment. 

The same Berkeley poll indicated that 42 percent of California voters consider a candidate’s ability to “aggressively fight Trump administration policies” important in selecting their preferred candidate. Additionally, 28 percent believe a candidate holding progressive views is important.

California saw some of the most dramatic expressions of anti-Trump sentiment in his first year, with anti-ICE riots breaking out throughout the summer.

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Republican governor candidate Steve Hilton speaks to press during Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates press event at Huntington Beach on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026 in Huntington Beach, CA.  (Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

However, even with this, there is concern among Democratic strategists that the liberal and progressive vote will be split among the high number of Democratic candidates running for governor. Due to California’s unique top-two primary system, a fractured Democratic vote could mean Hilton and Bianco are the only two candidates to advance to the November general election.

Hilton is confident that Republicans can capitalize on dissatisfaction with Newsom’s tenure as governor to propel them to victory. He referred to the anti-ICE agitators as a “very loud, well-organized, often well-funded minority of activists.”

“It’s activists, political activists on the far left who are pushing this,” he said. “Most regular people believe that our laws should be properly enforced. That’s the majority position, I would say even in California.”

Regarding his stance on the issue, Hilton said that as governor, he would “not accept California sanctuary state law,” and would “very clearly and strongly work with the federal administration to enforce the law.”

“I have absolutely no doubt that standing up for the enforcement of the law and saying very clearly that, of course, this is America, and we want to welcome immigrants to our country, but it has to be done the right way, and if you break our laws to come here, then you shouldn’t be here. And it’s as simple as that,” he explained.

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Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 15, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Being from a family of immigrants himself — his parents fled to the U.K. from communist Hungary — Hilton said he is solidly “pro-immigration,” while noting, “But it’s got to be controlled.”

“I hear all the time that we should be offering a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. There is a pathway of citizenship. It’s called legal immigration. I just took it. It is available,” he said.

Hilton concluded that while some conservatives may have written off California, he believes the gubernatorial race has an impact on the entire country.

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“So many of the terrible policies that are infecting the rest of the country, they all started here. The gender extremism, the climate extremism. All this nonsense, it started here in California,” he said. “So, if we beat them here, then we are doing something very important for the whole country.”

“That’s why I think it’s a race that actually really matters a lot.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Swalwell and Porter campaigns for comment. 

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