The former British advisor and former Fox presenter, Steve Hilton, backed by former US President Donald Trump, has managed to qualify for the final round in the race for Governor of California, where he will face Xavier Becerra, a veteran Democratic leader and former Secretary of Health during the Joe Biden Administration.
Hilton has secured his presence in the final vote on November 3rd after winning the primaries against Tom Steyer, an influential Democratic businessman who has allocated a record $195 million, about 168 million euros, to his electoral campaign.
"My mission is clear: go to Sacramento, end corruption, reduce their spending, help their businesses, and improve our schools," the Republican candidate said in a statement released after his advancement to the final phase of the elections was confirmed.
The candidate announced that in the coming weeks he will detail a program with which he intends for California "to be affordable especially for workers and small businesses." "We will draw a strong contrast with Xavier Becerra, who represents more of the same: spending, incompetence, and corruption," added Hilton, who holds dual nationality and was an advisor to former British Prime Minister David Cameron before moving to California in 2012.
With the explicit support of Trump in his bid to become governor of the state, the former Fox communicator has presented himself as a figure outside the US political establishment, emphasizing that the contest transcends the classic division between Democrats and Republicans.
"This is about common sense, change, and practical solutions. I am not a politician. I am an 'outsider' running for governor to shake up a system that clearly isn't working," he stressed in a social media message to boost his campaign for the final vote.
On the other side will be Becerra, an experienced Democratic leader who was a member of the House of Representatives for 24 years and Attorney General of California between 2017 and 2021, before joining Biden's cabinet. Both candidates are competing to succeed Gavin Newsom, who, after two terms at the helm of the state, cannot run for office again and has already expressed his support for the Democratic candidate.