Time Magazine is reporting that Republican Steve Hilton is making a surprisingly strong bid for California governor, with recent polls suggesting he is well-positioned to advance in Tuesday's primary election. The magazine said Hilton, a British-born dual citizen and former adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron, has received an endorsement from President Donald Trump. Despite California's typically liberal leanings, Hilton's campaign emphasizes a rejection of what he calls 'hold-the-line liberalism' and 16 years of one-party Democratic rule, arguing that Californians are seeking change. A Public Policy Institute of California survey cited by Time found that 54% of Californians believe the state is heading in the wrong direction.
Hilton's platform, branded 'Californable,' includes proposals to eliminate state income tax for the first $100,000 of income, reduce gas prices to $3 a gallon, cut electric bills by half, and lower small-business taxes. He plans to achieve these goals by scaling back the state's climate change initiatives and consolidating bureaucracy. Hilton also indicated a willingness to work with the Trump administration on immigration, seeking to lower tensions and find areas of collaboration within existing state laws, rather than outright confrontation. He acknowledges that he would face a Democratic-controlled Legislature but intends to use vetoes to force lawmakers to publicly defend their positions.
Time also noted other reports, including how Trump’s war with Iran is giving Somali pirates an opening and chemical disasters striking as Trump seeks to roll back safety rules.