How a Trump-Endorsed Republican Could Become California’s Next Governor
The Political Scene | The New Yorker
The New Yorker
4.3 • 3.9K Ratings
🗓️ 4 May 2026
⏱️ 23 minutes
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Summary
In the governor’s race in California, the leading Republican candidate appears to be Steve Hilton, a British-born political consultant and former Fox News contributor. Hilton has been endorsed by Donald Trump, which may not help him in the heavily Democratic state. His lead may owe something to California’s unusual primary system, but it’s not the first time a Republican has had a strong showing in the state: former Republican governors include Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Hilton is running on a platform emphasizing affordability, cutting waste in the government, and increasing oil and natural-gas production. He talks with David Remnick about how a Republican might win this election, and how he would govern with a minority of Californians supporting him.
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| 0:00.0 | If you're a fan of the political scene podcast from The New Yorker, I hope you'll join us for a live taping of the show at 92 NY in Manhattan. |
| 0:09.3 | We're going to be talking about Donald Trump's falling approval numbers, the prospects of a comeback for the Democratic Party in the midterms. |
| 0:18.5 | And let's just say the potential threats to the integrity of the election that are coming from the president. |
| 0:25.1 | I hope you'll join me, Evan Osnos, and my colleagues Susan Glasser and Jane Mayer on June 4th at 7 p.m. |
| 0:32.3 | Ticket information is at 92NY.org. |
| 0:46.3 | You're listening to the political scene. |
| 0:47.4 | I'm David Remnick. |
| 0:50.3 | Early each week, we bring you a conversation from our episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour. |
| 0:54.9 | The New Yorker Radio Hour is a co-production of WNYC and The New Yorker. |
| 1:02.2 | Welcome to The New Yorker Radio Hour. I'm David Remnick. |
| 1:06.0 | Now, if you've been following news about the midterm elections coming this November, |
| 1:10.2 | you may have heard |
| 1:11.7 | a very confusing story coming out of California. The polls are shifting all the time, and Eric Swalwell, |
| 1:18.9 | the leading Democrat, recently dropped out, following accusations of rape and sexual assault, |
| 1:24.8 | charges that he denies. But it seems that the leading candidate in the California |
| 1:30.0 | governor's race right now is a Republican endorsed by Donald Trump. His name is Steve Hilton, |
| 1:37.3 | a British-born political consultant, and a former Fox News host. Now, you may have been puzzled by |
| 1:44.0 | that since Democrats outnumber Republicans |
| 1:46.1 | in California by no less than 20 percent. And Trump is deeply unpopular there. Partly, Hilton's |
| 1:54.5 | modest lead in the polls may result from California's unusual primary system and the chaos of the general race. |
| 2:02.4 | Now, the way this works is that the two candidates who get the most votes in this primary, |
| 2:07.6 | regardless of party, move on to the general election. |
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