New poll shows Steyer edging Hilton in CA governor’s race as battle for 2nd tightens

libertystartribune.com — California governor candidate Steve Hilton says his very first move would be a direct assault on the “corrupt, bloated” Sacramento spending machine that he blames for driving families out of the state.

Story Snapshot

Hilton is running for governor on a promise to make the first $100,000 Californians earn free of state income tax, funded by a dramatic rollback of state spending.^[1]^[3]^[4]
His campaign frames this as a revolt against what he calls one‑party corruption, waste, and unaffordable living costs under Democratic rule.^[3]^[4]
Democrats and many policy experts question whether his math adds up, warning that big, immediate cuts could hit schools, health care, and safety‑net services.^[2]^[3]
Hilton’s proposed Day One moves highlight a deeper, bipartisan frustration that government serves insiders and special interests before ordinary workers and taxpayers.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Hilton’s First Move: Making $100,000 Of Income Tax‑Free

Republican candidate Steve Hilton has centered his California governor bid on one headline promise: make the first $100,000 of personal income tax‑free for residents.^[2]^[3] In interviews and debates, Hilton says this would be his first major action if elected, arguing that ordinary people are “crushed” by state taxes layered on top of housing, energy, and food costs.^[2] He presents the plan as a simple way to let workers, small business owners, and young families keep more of what they earn.^[3]

Hilton’s official campaign site describes California’s cost of living as “completely unaffordable” and ties that directly to Sacramento’s tax and regulatory choices.^[3] The site lays out a package that goes beyond the $100,000 tax‑free pledge, including “massively reduc[ing] the tax burden” across the board and pairing that with “abundant, affordable energy and water” plus a sweeping attack on “bureaucratic obstacles.”^[3] For frustrated voters on both left and right, the appeal is straightforward: government takes less, interferes less, and life gets more affordable.^[2]^[3]

How He Says He’ll Pay For It: A Spending “Reset” In Sacramento

Hilton does not hide that his tax promise implies a huge hit to state revenue; instead, he argues Sacramento has more than enough money and wastes staggering amounts of it.^[1]^[4] His campaign materials say the plan would be financed by “returning state spending to pre‑pandemic levels,” effectively a hard reset on the rapid budget growth of the last several years.^[3] He portrays this rollback as a moral as well as economic necessity, calling recent spending a product of “one‑party rule” and “abuse of public money.”^[1]^[3]^[4]

This framing taps into a broad anger that the political class protects its own perks while ordinary people tighten belts.^[2]^[4] Hilton tells voters that cutting waste, not raising taxes, should be the default answer when budgets get tight, echoing long‑standing conservative complaints about bloated bureaucracies.^[1]^[3] Yet the same argument resonates with many older liberals who feel that, despite record budgets, public schools, mental health services, and homelessness programs are not delivering results on the ground.^[2] Both sides share a suspicion that money disappears into layers of consultants, administrators, and politically connected contractors.

Democratic Skepticism: Fear Of Cuts To Services And Long‑Term Risks

Democrats and many budget watchers counter that Hilton’s first‑move agenda risks trading one crisis for another.^[2] They point out that eliminating income tax on the first $100,000 for millions of filers would remove a massive chunk of general‑fund revenue in a state heavily reliant on income taxes.^[2]^[3] Opponents warn that simply “going back” to pre‑pandemic spending would not account for population changes, inflation, or existing commitments in areas like pension obligations and long‑term care.^[2]

Critics also argue that calls to cut “waste” often become politically convenient labels attached to programs that serve vulnerable communities.^[2] They note that Democratic lawmakers spent the last decade expanding health coverage, school funding, and climate programs they see as vital to reducing inequality and protecting future generations.^[2] From that perspective, Hilton’s Day One focus on tax cuts and spending restraint looks like a replay of national “trickle down” fights, with the risk that the poorest Californians bear the brunt if revenues fall faster than waste can realistically be cut.^[2]^[3]

Affordability Politics And The Anti‑Elite Mood Uniting Both Sides

Hilton’s pitch fits a familiar pattern in California politics: candidates promise relief through tax cuts, cheaper energy, and regulatory rollback, while opponents question whether the numbers and legal hurdles pencil out.^[2]^[3] What is different now is how deeply both conservatives and liberals feel that the current system is rigged for insiders. Longtime Republicans see echoes of national “deep state” grievances in what Hilton calls one‑party dominance and the influence of public‑sector unions and tech donors in Sacramento.^[1]^[4]

I agree that you don’t understand, but if any of your followers are listening, BIANCO CAN’T WIN.

Shift your vote to Steve Hilton for Governor of California! Get off of your asses and get this man into office. ❤️🇺🇸

— Tami (@EarthtoTami) June 1, 2026

At the same time, many older Democrats are disillusioned with a state that talks justice yet delivers sky‑high rents, tent encampments, and record budget surpluses that never seem to fix basic problems.^[2] Hilton’s first‑move message—cut taxes on work, slash waste, and challenge entrenched interests—lands in that shared distrust of the political class, even among people who may never vote Republican. Whether his plan is fiscally sustainable or not, it forces a direct question that both parties would rather avoid: who, exactly, is Sacramento working for?^[2]^[3]^[4]