共和党候选人史蒂夫·希尔顿在加州州长选举中启动大选竞选，向选民传递一个独特的信息：可以对特朗普感到厌倦，但仍然投票支持他。[1]
希尔顿提出了一系列激进的经济承诺，包括将汽油价格降至每加仑3美元（约为目前价格的一半）[1]，削减公用事业账单至一半，以及消除年收入15万美元以下人群的州所得税。[1]这些政策旨在吸引对加州现状不满的进步派选民，同时希尔顿获得了特朗普的背书。[1]
希尔顿面临艰巨的政治局面。在加州，注册共和党人被民主党选民以接近2:1的比例大幅超越。[1]特朗普在该州的支持率持续下滑，从2016年输给希拉里30个百分点，到2020年输给拜登29个百分点，再到2024年输给卡玛拉·哈里斯20个百分点。[1]加州共和党候选人自2006年以来未赢得任何州级选举。[1]
希尔顿的民主党对手是曾任美国卫生与公众服务部部长的泽维尔·贝塞拉。[1]贝塞拉的竞选团队发表声明，指控希尔顿是"特朗普在加州的傀儡"，并称特朗普的政策——包括他所谓的"非法战争"和关税——导致了油价上升和经济困难，声称今年特朗普的非法关税已使加州家庭损失超过2500美元。[1]
Republican Steve Hilton has launched his campaign for California governor with an economic platform designed to appeal to voters frustrated with the state's current conditions, even as he seeks to distance his candidacy from Trump while simultaneously accepting the former president's endorsement. [1]
Hilton's campaign centers on aggressive cost-reduction promises, pledging to lower gasoline prices to $3 per gallon—approximately half the current rate—and cut utility bills by half. [1] He also proposes eliminating state income taxes for residents earning up to $150,000 annually. [1]
The strategy reflects the steep electoral challenge facing California Republicans: registered GOP members are outnumbered by Democrats nearly 2-to-1 in the state, and Trump has performed poorly in recent presidential contests, losing to Hillary Clinton by 30 percentage points in 2016, to Joe Biden by 29 points in 2020, and to Kamala Harris by 20 points in 2024. [1] No Republican has won a statewide election in California since 2006. [1]
Hilton's Democratic opponent, Xavier Becerra—a former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services—responded sharply to the campaign launch. [1] Becerra's team accused Hilton of being "Trump's puppet in California" and blamed Trump's policies for rising fuel costs and tariffs, claiming the latter have cost California households more than $2,500 this year. [1]