The race for California governor is officially underway, and in a development sure to rattle the Democratic establishment, Republican candidate Steve Hilton is outraising his opponents. Hilton revealed on X that his campaign pulled in more than $4 million over the past six months—far eclipsing high-profile Democrats such as Katie Porter and Rep. Eric Swalwell.
Altogether, Hilton has raised $5.7 million, a clear sign that donor enthusiasm is shifting in a state long taken for granted by Democrats.
?BREAKING: STEVE HILTON DOMINATES FUNDRAISING
We are leading this race and building a grassroots political revolution.
THANK YOU to the 30,000+ people who have made this possible. We will keep fighting to kick out the failed, corrupt Democrat machine and SAVE CALIFORNIA! ? pic.twitter.com/d7CRagD4UO
— steve hilton (@SteveHiltonx) January 13, 2026
“BREAKING: STEVE HILTON DOMINATES FUNDRAISING,” the post read. “We are leading this race and building a grassroots political revolution.”
“THANK YOU to the 30,000+ people who have made this possible,” he added. “We will keep fighting to kick out the failed, corrupt Democrat machine and SAVE CALIFORNIA!”
Hilton, a former Fox News host from the UK who became a U.S. citizen the right way in 2021, talked to the New York Post about his progress thus far:
Hilton, who described himself as a political outsider, called the results “especially strong,” saying he finished well ahead of “establishment machine politicians like Eric Swalwell and Katie Porter.”
“This is truly a fantastic result and shows how much people are sick of Newsom and 16 years of one-party Democrat rule,” Hilton told The Post. “We built this from scratch, in record time.”
It’s true that a Republican hasn’t won statewide in California since 2006, when Arnold Schwarzenegger secured reelection after first taking office in 2003. And look, Hilton is definitely a long shot. But for skeptics who insist that history can never repeat itself, Hilton’s fundraising surge should serve as a wake-up call.
Even more telling is Hilton’s decision to run with former Democratic legislative leader Gloria Romero—now a Republican—as his self-described “Golden Ticket” for lieutenant governor, a role California typically treats as an afterthought. Hilton says the response from voters has been overwhelming, driven by widespread frustration with a state battered by homelessness, rising crime, and runaway costs for housing, insurance, gas, and taxes.
Appearing on CNN on Monday, Hilton and Romero laid out their strategy and made clear they believe California voters are finally ready for a change:
"A majority of Californians say the state is going in the wrong direction. 60%, 65%…we're going to kick out this corrupt, failed Democrat regime."
Took our message of change to CNN with my new running mate @GloriaJRomero: pic.twitter.com/JCdgV9Udkz
— steve hilton (@SteveHiltonx) January 13, 2026
“I think it’s time for a change in California. A majority of Californians agree with that, over 60%, but it’s not going to be easy to win as a Republican in the state,” Hilton told the host. “It’s been a long time since a Republican won statewide. So, I’ve always said we’ve got to do it differently. And I’ve always believed in the idea of a team that’s going to turn things around in California.”
“And I’m running as an outsider, a business owner…so I’m going there to take on the failure and corruption in Sacramento,” he added. “But right by my side, Gloria’s going to be helping me with all of her years of experience in the State Capitol, in the legislature.”
When pressed on how they will pull off a victory, Hilton once again pointed out that polls regularly show in CA that “60, sometimes as high as 65%, say the state is going in the wrong direction.”
California used to be reliably red; it can shift back that way again, and boy, would that be a death knell for the Democratic Party.
