Steve Hilton’s Unique Path in the California Governor’s Race

Earlier in the year, candidates for the California governor’s race participated in a forum where they were asked about their television preferences. Steve Hilton, a Republican and President Trump’s choice for the role, mentioned watching a British political satire titled The Thick of It. He described it as ‘incredibly profane,’ highlighting a character notorious for excessive cursing. Hilton noted, ‘To my horror, there is a character based on me.’

At 56, Hilton is an unconventional candidate aiming to lead one of America’s most liberal states. Originally from Britain, he was the prominent advisor to Prime Minister David Cameron before relocating to California 14 years ago. In the U.S., he became a Fox News commentator and is now a primary contender in the upcoming election. The top two primary vote-getters, regardless of party, will proceed to the general election in November.

Hilton’s political resurgence in the U.S. has surprised his former British colleagues and competitors. The character based on him in The Thick of It, Stewart Pearson, is depicted as erratic, promoting ‘thought circles’ to confused conservatives with expressions like ‘knowledge is porridge.’ In reality, Hilton gained notoriety for his unique style, known for walking shoeless and in shorts through Downing Street, and for bold ideas, such as ‘cloud-bursting’ to improve the weather in Britain and eliminating maternity leave. He contested past portrayals of these ideas.

In 2012, Hilton exited politics to join his wife, Rachel Whetstone, in America. She had started a successful career in the tech sector, holding significant communication roles at companies like Netflix and Google. Hilton then became a host at Fox News. Notably, Rupert Murdoch, founder of the media company that includes Fox News, is among Hilton’s significant donors, as is Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, as reflected in campaign finance records.