Steve Hilton’s California Governor Bid: What His Plans Would Do
A Fox News opinion column by Gianno Caldwell backs Republican Steve Hilton for California governor and lays out his tax, gas, housing and crime proposals. Here is what the piece actually says.
Republican Steve Hilton is running for California governor against Democrat Xavier Becerra, and a Fox News opinion column by public-safety advocate Gianno Caldwell argues Hilton deserves the job. The piece is an endorsement, not a news report, so it tells you what Hilton’s campaign promises are and why one supporter backs him — not whether those promises would work.
What happened
Caldwell, who says he lived in Los Angeles from 2017 until May 2020 and then moved to Miami, wrote the column to endorse Hilton and to argue that Californians who cannot leave the state should have a reason to stay. He frames the race around cost of living, homelessness and public safety, and criticizes 16 years of one-party Democratic rule in Sacramento.
The column describes Hilton’s policy proposals in some detail:
- Income tax: no state income tax on the first $150,000 a person earns.
- Gas prices: a target of $3 a gallon, reached by removing the state gas tax, repealing the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and producing more oil within California.
- Housing: streamline building codes and limit lawsuits under the California Environmental Quality Act, which the column says are often used to block housing.
- Crime: a tougher approach and stronger support for law enforcement.
- Homelessness: enforce laws against street encampments while expanding mental health and addiction treatment.
Caldwell also says Hilton has campaigned across the state since the June primary while Becerra has kept a low profile, and that Hilton attended a Los Angeles Times candidate forum this month that Becerra did not attend. He notes Hilton has been endorsed by Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig, described as an architect of Proposition 36, the tough-on-crime measure Caldwell says nearly 70% of voters passed.
Why it matters
The column is a window into how Hilton’s campaign is pitching itself to voters: lower taxes and fuel costs, faster homebuilding, and stricter enforcement on crime and encampments. Those are the issues Caldwell says cut across party lines, arguing that a driver paying high gas prices or a family priced out of a starter home is not thinking about party labels.
Caldwell concedes the polls make Hilton the underdog, then argues that polls do not vote. That suggests the campaign’s own supporters see the race as an uphill fight. The column also places Hilton in a line of Republican California governors, naming Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Key facts at a glance
| Item | Detail from the column |
|---|---|
| Race | California governor; Hilton (R) vs. Xavier Becerra (D) |
| Outgoing governor | Gavin Newsom (D) |
| Election date given | Tuesday, Nov. 3 |
| Income tax plan | No state income tax on first $150,000 earned |
| Gas plan | $3/gallon target via gas tax repeal, Low Carbon Fuel Standard repeal, more in-state oil |
| Housing plan | Streamline codes; curb CEQA lawsuits |
| Endorsement cited | Yolo County DA Jeff Reisig, tied to Proposition 36 |
| Author | Gianno Caldwell, founder of the Caldwell Institute for Public Safety |
What this means for you
This is one supporter’s argument, so treat the policy descriptions as the campaign’s stated positions rather than settled outcomes. If you live in California, the proposals most likely to affect household budgets are the income-tax threshold and the gas-price plan; the housing and encampment proposals would play out locally, through permitting and enforcement. None of these ideas is described as already law or budgeted, and the column gives no cost estimates or timelines.
Frequently asked questions
Who is running for California governor?
Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News figure, faces Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former Health and Human Services secretary under President Joe Biden, according to the column. Hilton is seeking to succeed Democrat Gavin Newsom.
What is Steve Hilton’s tax plan?
The column says he wants no state income tax on the first $150,000 a Californian earns.
What is Proposition 36?
As described in the column, it is a tough-on-crime measure that restores consequences for repeat theft and drug crimes; Caldwell says nearly 70% of voters passed it.
Is this a news report?
No. It is an opinion column endorsing Hilton, published by Fox News, and it reflects the author’s views.
What to watch next
The column does not give polling numbers, fundraising figures or details on how the tax and gas proposals would be funded. Whether Becerra’s lower-profile approach changes before Nov. 3, and how the gas-tax and CEQA proposals would be enacted, are open questions the piece leaves unanswered.
- Fox News opinion columnist Gianno Caldwell endorsed Republican Steve Hilton for California governor over Democrat Xavier Becerra.
- Hilton's stated plans include no state income tax on the first $150,000 earned and a $3-a-gallon gas target.
- Caldwell says polls make Hilton the underdog and names Nov. 3 as the election date.
