The Republican podcaster and former Fox News host held a rally Tuesday, a day after announcing he would run for governor in 2026.

Hilton, who hosted a show on Fox News for six years and worked as an adviser to former British prime minister David Cameron, faulted state Democrats during a formal campaign launch in Huntington Beach, southeast of Los Angeles, for the state's notoriously high taxes, soaring home prices and “the destruction of the California dream.”

Republican podcaster and former Fox News host Steve Hilton jumped into the California governor’s race Tuesday, with a formal announcement in Huntington Beach. According to his campaign, Hilton is seeking the governor’s office with a theme of “Golden Again: Great Jobs,