Steve Hilton says Californians want change as voters cast ballots in 2026 midterms

All right, how's it going? Are you enjoying election night so far? Are you enjoying election night? I am. I'm incredibly proud of this movement that we've built. We still don't know exactly what the results are going to be. We've got a couple of hours to wait. There are obviously conflicting signals out there. We've got the polls that are telling one story. It's not a particularly positive story for everyone who wants change. The polls are not telling a particularly... It's an encouraging story for everyone who wants change in California, but the people are telling a different story. Out on the road, incredible energy, momentum. You saw it last night in Huntington Beach, thousands of people coming out. We've had thousands of people up and down the state at our rallies in the final stages of this campaign. There's an energy, there's an energy for change in this state. We've built something special here. Now I don't know if it's going to be enough. to overcome all the forces that are against change in California, especially the fact that our campaign was outspent 20 to 1 by the corrupt machine backing Javier Becerra. We'll see. But whatever happens, I'm incredibly proud of what we've done here, what we've built here. And I'm very excited to fight for California, because this state desperately needs change. We can all agree about that. And the change that we've been putting forward, positive, practical, reducing the cost of living, $3 gas. You know the list by now. I think you can all say it with me. $3 gas, your first $150,000 tax-free, $73 car registration, and most recently, stopping Javier Becerra's mileage tax. By the way, if anyone's watching right now, you've still got a couple of hours. to go out there and vote and stop the mileage tax. So let's get that done. We'll see what the results bring tonight, but I'm very, very proud of the campaign and the movement we've built. Can you tell us about- Can you tell us what you've been doing today? You've been running with the Republican label next to your name in a state where Democratic voters far outweigh Republican voters? Well, we always knew that this was an uphill battle. I said that right at the beginning. I said it to every single one of our supporters right from the start, that this is going to be very difficult to win, but it's not impossible. And because it's not impossible, we've got to fight because we love this state. We can't let this state continue as we are with the highest poverty rate in the country, the highest unemployment rate, the highest cost of living, the moral stain of mass homelessness. We've got to fight to change that, however hard the fight is. Now, obviously, as we're seeing already from some of the results around the country, this is not the best year to be running as a Republican anywhere. But I'm very proud that we've put forward a positive, practical alternative to 16 years of one-party rule. We'll see what progress we make tonight, but I'm very proud of what we've achieved so far. If the results don't go your way tonight, you certainly have created a momentum. What would be the next step for you? Well, I've already said to our volunteers tonight, our wonderful, magnificent volunteers who've been working so hard, that I love this state so much. I'm an immigrant. California's my home. California is the best place in the world, even with all the things that have been done to our state in these 16 years of one-party rule. So I'm not giving up the fight for California. There are important elections. In 2028, for the state legislature, there are lots of things we need to get done to change California. One way or another, I'll be in that fight. Do you expect to either concede or declare victory tonight? I'm looking forward to declaring victory. That's the plan, that's what we've been fighting for. I don't know, if we get a quick result tonight, I suspect that's not really what we'll be looking for. If the result is a little bit longer, then that's probably good news for us, but we'll wait and see. So have you- Sorry, this lady. I am next, thank you. So what would you tell the immigrants, especially with all the situation that's going on with the immigration ICE raids, what do you want to tell them tonight? Why should they believe in you? I'm a proud immigrant, a proud American, and I want to restore the California dream for immigrants in California. It's so hard for an immigrant to live in California thanks to Democrat policies. It's impossible to have that dream of owning your own home if you run a small business. I'm a small business owner as an immigrant. It's impossible. Your schools are a disaster if you're an immigrant. The worst school results are in communities with the highest... Immigrant populations in California, that's an outrage. That's what we need to change. Exactly. Everyone in California, if you look at the school results, are terrible everywhere, but they're particularly bad in places with a higher concentration of immigrants. That's what we need to change so we can restore that opportunity of the California dream. Thank you very much. Can you tell us who's going to be here with you tonight? Oh, just, you know, about 1,000 of my closest friends. I'm afraid you're running me. Actually, I think I saw Herb here, I'm not sure if Gloria is going to be here, we've got, I know Tony Strickland will be here, David Tangipa, great friend of mine, real force in the State Assembly, so there's going to be a few people here who've been with me in this fight, and we're going to be continuing to fight together. Can you talk about all the places you've been? We've seen you on social media. It seems like you've been everywhere in the last several weeks. And do you think that push going to all these different places that you got anybody to switch from Democrat to Republican? Oh, we definitely got people to switch. I mean, every single day I hear from people directly and then reported to me almost the same words. I'm a lifelong Democrat, but this year I'm voting for you because we've got to have change. Last night at our rally in Huntington Beach as we were leaving, there was a young guy there who's literally wearing a feel the burn cap. And he said, I'm a Bernie Sanders supporter, but I'm voting for you because Javier Becerra is part of the establishment. He's corrupt. The establishment's corrupt and we need change. So we're definitely persuading. Every day I hear a story about a Democrat that's switching over. Many of them don't want people to know. That's why I think we may be in for a little bit of surprise. Considering that there's a lot of people that tell me, yeah, I'm voting for you, I'm a Democrat, but I'm not telling anyone. In terms of the campaign we've run, I think it's incredibly important that if you want to be the governor of a state, you have to go to every part of that state and represent every part of that state. And that's why I'm very proud that we've been to every one of our 58 counties. No candidate has done, I don't even think Gavin Newsom did that as governor for eight years. We need to check. But I've been everywhere in this state. I love this state. It's such a magnificent place, not just the natural beauty, but the spirit of California. That's what's being crushed, actually, by 16 years of bloated, bureaucratic, one-party rule. That's what I want to set free as governor. What was the biggest thing you learned knowing all 58 counties about this state? It's a very sad thing to say, what I learned, but I'm just going to answer your question honestly. I learned that everywhere in our state, people are at breaking point, like really at breaking point. I can't tell you the number of times when we've done our town halls, we've done events, as I say, all 58 counties, hundreds and hundreds of events, thousands and thousands of people now that have come along and they've asked questions and we've hugged and taken pictures. I can't tell you the number of times people in asking their question have broken down in tears. at what they're having to go through. People in California are at breaking point. It's not always the voices that you hear. It's regular working people, small business owners. They just can't take it anymore. In a way, that's what's driven me on with such energy in this campaign. We just can't let people down. They're counting on us to provide the change, some relief. I mean, the number one thing I hear from people When they want to give me some encouragement, I hear, again, almost the same words every time. It's not, I hope you do well or good luck. It's, you have to win. There's a kind of desperation. for change in Californians, and that's why it's so important that we keep fighting whatever happens tonight. Steve, you talked about continuing the fight. What does that look like for you, another campaign for another office, maybe governor in another race? Well, I'm looking forward to taking office as governor in January, so let's not get ahead of that. Look, I don't know what the results will bring, and I don't know what the future will bring in terms of my role. But I'm very, very committed to fighting on and leading this movement for change that we've built. That's what I've been doing, working as a team in a way you haven't seen on the Republican side for decades. And so the next immediate fight, of course, will be the elections in 2028 for the state legislature. That's a very important moment because and I'll be addressing that tonight. We've got to keep because so many of the things. That make life impossible for Californians. The taxes, the fees, the regulations, all the bureaucracy, the nonsense that you have to deal with if you run a small business, it's coming out of the legislature. So we have to end the Democrat supermajority in the legislature so we can bring some sanity back there and stop this constant escalation of cost and bureaucracy. 2028 is going to be very important. I mean, I've always seen this as a long-term thing. We've got to save California, turn things around. That's not just one election. It's multiple years, and we're going to keep moving forward on the foundations we've laid in this campaign. Do you think that President Trump's support ultimately helped or hurt your campaign? So it's so interesting. I understand that that's an interesting question, but I'm afraid the only people that ever ask me about that are you and your colleagues. I haven't had it once in any of the... town halls. People ask me about gas prices and electric bills and car registration and what's going on in the schools and so on. But I'm very, I've always been very open about this. I'm an independent person. I've always been that. You talk to anyone who worked with me in the government in the UK or knows me throughout my life. I understand that there are millions of Californians who really can't stand the president, who are not Republicans. And I've always said to them, them, look, I get it. I don't need you to... Change your politics, change your opinion about President Trump, change your party. You just have to vote for change in this election. And there's still time to do that. You've still got a couple of hours. If you want change in California, let's get it done. Please go vote. Thank you. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.