Steve Hilton – Republican candidate for governor of California

My fellow Californians,
My name is Steve Hilton, and I am proud to stand before you as the Republican nominee for Governor of California.
This election presents a clear choice.
Not between personalities.
Not between slogans.
But between two very different visions of the future of California.
My Democratic opponent will tell you that California is on the right track.
I disagree.
If California is on the right track, why are families leaving?
Why is housing unaffordable?
Why are businesses relocating?
Why are insurance companies withdrawing from our communities?
Why do so many Californians feel less safe than they did ten years ago?
And why, despite record spending, do we still face homelessness, failing infrastructure, and struggling schools?
The truth is simple.
The politicians who have governed California for most of the last generation created many of the problems they now promise to solve.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
California needs a new direction.
I am grateful for the support I have received from Republican leaders across the country, including President Donald Trump. We may not agree on every issue, but we share a belief that government exists to serve citizens, not bureaucracies.
We share a belief that economic growth creates opportunity.
We share a belief that public safety matters.
And we share a belief that laws should be enforced.
Today, too many Californians feel that common sense has disappeared from government.
Let's start with the economy.
For years, Sacramento has piled regulation upon regulation onto workers, small businesses, homeowners, farmers, truckers, and manufacturers.
Every new rule may sound reasonable in isolation.
But together they have created one of the most expensive states in America.
My opponent believes government should direct more of the economy.
I believe Californians themselves know better how to spend their money, run their businesses, and build their futures.
I will reduce unnecessary regulations, lower barriers to investment, and make California competitive again.
Next, housing.
The Democrats have controlled Sacramento for years.
Yet housing prices continue to soar.
The average family cannot afford the average home.
Young adults delay marriage and family formation because they cannot afford a place to live.
The answer is not more studies, more commissions, and more bureaucracy.
The answer is to build.
My administration will cut red tape, accelerate approvals, and make it easier for the private sector to create the housing Californians desperately need.
On public safety, the contrast could not be clearer.
For too long, politicians have treated criminals as victims and law-abiding citizens as an afterthought.
Retail theft has damaged businesses.
Fentanyl has devastated families.
Violent crime remains a concern in too many communities.
I support our police officers.
I support prosecutors who enforce the law.
And I support victims who deserve justice.
We will restore accountability and make public safety a priority once again.
Now let us discuss immigration.
California is a state of immigrants.
Legal immigrants have helped build this state and this country.
We welcome those who follow the law and contribute to our communities.
But no society can function without borders.
No society can function when laws are selectively enforced.
My Democratic opponent supports policies that blur the distinction between legal and illegal immigration.
I do not.
The federal government must secure the border.
The federal government must know who enters the country.
And those who commit serious crimes while in this country illegally should be removed.
That is not extremism.
That is common sense.
Compassion and lawfulness are not enemies.
A nation can be welcoming and secure at the same time.
The American people deserve both.
Let us talk about education.
California spends enormous sums of money on public education.
Yet many students continue to struggle with reading and mathematics.
Parents deserve transparency.
Parents deserve a voice.
And students deserve excellence.
Our schools should focus on academic achievement, workforce preparation, and the skills necessary to succeed in a competitive world.
We should measure success by student outcomes, not by bureaucratic reports.
Finally, let us talk about government itself.
My opponent believes the answer to nearly every problem is more government.
More agencies.
More programs.
More spending.
More regulation.
I believe government has an important role.
But I also believe government must know its limits.
The purpose of government is not to control people's lives.
The purpose of government is to create the conditions in which free people can succeed.
My fellow Californians, this election is not about left versus right.
It is about results versus excuses.
For years, Californians have been told that if they just spend more money, create more programs, and trust the same politicians, things will improve.
Yet many of our challenges have only grown worse.
The time has come to try something different.
The time has come to restore accountability.
To restore public safety.
To restore affordability.
To restore opportunity.
And to restore confidence that California's best days are still ahead.
I ask for your vote.
I ask for your support.
And I ask you to join me in building a California where families can thrive, businesses can grow, laws are respected, and opportunity is available to every citizen.
Together, we can restore the California dream.
Thank you, God bless California, and God bless the United States of America.
Speech written for Republican candidate Steve Hilton by ChatGPT.
Commissioned by MvR, June 19, 2026. ✍️