Meet Steve Hilton, the Former U.K. Political Strategist Trump Is Endorsing for California Governor

President Donald Trump has endorsed one of the two Republican candidates in the crowded race to be California’s next governor, Steve Hilton, ahead of the state’s upcoming primary.

“I have known and respected Steve Hilton, who is running for Governor of California, for many years,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Monday. “He is a truly fine man, one who has watched as this once great State has godane to Hell.”

The President went on to accuse the state’s current governor, Gavin Newsom, and other California Democrats of doing “an absolutely horrendous job,” and said that Hilton could “turn it around, before it is too late,” adding, “I will help him to do so!”

“With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before!” Trump continued. “Steve Hilton has my COMPLETE & TOTAL ENDORSEMENT. He will be a GREAT Governor and, importantly, WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!!!”

Hilton said in a statement that he was “honored” to receive the President’s endorsement.

“I’m running to make our state Califordable: $3.00 gas, cut your electric bills in half, your first $100,000 tax free, a home you can afford to buy. We’ll do that by putting common sense ahead of ideology, stopping fraud, waste, and abuse in our government, and cleaning up the corruption in Sacramento,” Hilton said. “I’m grateful for the president’s support. Together, we can turn things around and make California truly Golden Again.”

Hilton is one of the 10 major candidates—eight Democrats and two Republicans—who have entered California’s gubernatorial race. Newsom, who has served as California’s governor since 2019, isn’t eligible to run for the office again because of term limits, but is considered to be a likely and prominent candidate for the 2028 presidential election. 

The primary election for the state’s gubernatorial race, which will take place on June 2, is a top-two primary. That means that the two candidates who earn the most votes—regardless of their party—will advance to November’s general election.

California is a reliably blue state; it has not elected a Republican as governor—or to any statewide office—since 2006. But Democrats have voiced concerns that the large number of candidates in their party who are vying for Newsom’s role could split the vote, potentially resulting in both Republican candidates moving on to the general election.

It’s not clear what impact an endorsement from Trump, who is deeply unpopular in the state, might have on the race, or if it could hurt the chances of both Hilton and his fellow Republican candidate, Riverside County sheriff Chad Bianco, advancing. Multiple recent polls taken prior to the President’s post have shown that Hilton is leading in the race. 

Here’s what to know about him.

He immigrated to the U.S. from the U.K.

Hilton was born in the U.K., after his parents moved from Hungary. He said on his campaign website: “I’ve never forgotten where I came from.”

“My parents were immigrants—they fled communism in Hungary to start a new life in England. In a free country. I appreciate exactly what that means,” he said.

His father, who played for Hungary’s national ice hockey team as a goalie, died when Hilton was young, according to his website. His mother worked at a store that sold shoes, and his stepfather worked in the construction industry.

Hilton later attended Oxford University.

He is a former U.K. political strategist

Hilton worked for the U.K. Conservative Party while Margaret Thatcher was serving as the nation’s prime minister. Hilton called meeting her “such an honor” on his website.

He took a break from politics to embark on a business career, but returned to the political world to work for former British Prime Minister David Cameron. The New York Times wrote in 2017 that Hilton “was once credited as designing the modernized British Conservative image that helped get Mr. Cameron’s party elected in 2010.”

After Cameron was elected as the nation’s prime minister, Hilton became his senior adviser, “focusing in particular on the design and implementation of domestic policy,” according to his podcast’s website.

He worked in business

Before joining Cameron’s campaign, Hilton worked for an advertising agency, according to his podcast’s website. He later launched his own company, a consulting firm called the Good Business. He also opened a restaurant in London called The Good Cook.

He is a former Fox News host

Hilton moved to California in 2012. Five years later, he began hosting a show on Fox News, called The Next Revolution with Steve Hilton. The weekly show, according to Fox News’ website, examined “issues impacting the American government and society,” focusing “on the impact of the populist movement in the U.S. and around the world.” The final season of the show aired in 2023.

He also started his own podcast, called “The Steve Hilton Show,” which he said he launched “to serve as a non-partisan home for everyone who wants to see change from the worsening consequences of one-party rule” in California.

He’s launched multiple California political ventures

After he moved to California, Hilton co-founded Crowdpac, which he described on his podcast’s website as “a political crowdfunding platform that aimed to make it easier for independent and independent-minded candidates to raise money to run for office without relying on big donors and party machines.” He stepped down from his position as CEO of the start-up in 2018.

In 2023, Hilton announced that he was embarking on another political venture geared toward California: a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization called Golden Together. According to the organization’s website, “Golden Together will develop and advocate positive, practical policy ideas to help solve California’s problems.” It identifies issues including homelessness and crime as ones it aims to tackle.

Hilton became an American citizen in 2021.