Shock Endorsement Jolts California Governor Race

Official voter information guide for California recall election — Photo: Rosamar / Shutterstock

A conservative editorial board has thrown its weight behind a long-shot bid to end California’s two-decade run without a Republican governor.

Story Snapshot

The California Post editorial board endorsed Republican Steve Hilton for California governor on October 29, 2026.
Hilton’s platform centers on cutting income taxes, lowering gas prices, and easing housing and utility costs.
A late-October Emerson College poll showed Democrat Xavier Becerra leading Hilton by 27 points.
No Republican has won the California governor’s race since Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2006 reelection.

Editorial Board Backs Hilton’s Affordability Pitch

The California Post editorial board published its endorsement of Steve Hilton on October 29, 2026, calling his campaign “impressive and bold.” The piece praised Hilton for building his run around the state’s cost of living rather than sticking to typical partisan talking points. The endorsement frames Hilton as an alternative to what it describes as Sacramento’s status quo, tying its support directly to his economic proposals.

Hilton has leaned into his outsider message on the campaign trail, telling voters in one recent stop that “it’s OK to vote Republican” in a state Democrats have dominated for years. He has also pitched a plan to build homeless recovery centers that combine mental health treatment, addiction services, and job training, with a first site planned on military land.

Tax Cuts, Gas Prices, and Housing at Center of Campaign

Hilton’s core proposal would exempt the first $150,000 of individual income from state taxes, replacing it with an 8% flat rate above that threshold. He has paired this with a plan to push gas prices down to $3 a gallon by eliminating the state gas tax, repealing the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, and boosting in-state oil production. He calls the overall package “Califordable”.

Beyond taxes and fuel, Hilton has promised to cut utility bills in half and reduce regulations that he says block young families from buying homes. He has also proposed abolishing the state Department of Motor Vehicles and replacing it with a streamlined system, a plan he discussed in detail during an interview focused on California politics.

Polls Show Steep Climb Despite Endorsement

Hilton faces a difficult numbers problem heading into the final stretch. An Emerson College poll conducted October 17 through 19 found Becerra leading 60% to 33% among likely voters, a 27-point gap. That survey matched findings from an earlier Emerson poll of 1,000 likely voters that also showed Becerra with a more than 20-point advantage.

Hilton received President Trump’s endorsement during the Republican primary, though the relationship has carried complications. At a campaign rally, Trump suggested Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego, a remark that drew criticism from both parties. Hilton has kept some distance from Trump on specific issues, including offshore wind policy, while embracing the tax-cut message that defines his campaign.

A Deeper Pattern: California’s GOP Drought

California has elected 21 Republican governors since statehood, but none since Schwarzenegger’s 2006 reelection. That two-decade gap reflects a broader shift toward Democratic dominance in statewide races, even as polls consistently show voters frustrated with housing costs, energy prices, and taxes. Hilton’s campaign tests whether an affordability-focused message can cut through that partisan pattern or whether it will be read mainly as a Republican vehicle.

The editorial board of the California Post, the sister publication of the New York Post, has just endorsed Steve Hilton for Governor of California. @SteveHiltonx pic.twitter.com/Z29J7ewjFd

— Saint James Hartline (@JamesHartline) October 29, 2026

The California Post’s endorsement adds a notable voice to that test, but it arrives alongside polling that suggests most likely voters remain unconvinced. Whether Hilton’s specific dollar-figure promises, on taxes, gas, and utility bills, can close a 27-point gap before Election Day remains the central question of the race.