Steve Hilton Steve Hilton is a political commentator, a former adviser to UK Prime Minister David Cameron (2010-2012) and a former Fox News commentator.

“Our estimate is that I will need six million votes to win. The number of votes in 2024 in California, President Trump got six point one million. So even before we get to the Democrats and independents who are joining our side every day … even if we don't get any of those, literally, if everybody in California who voted for President Trump two years ago votes for me in this election, I'll win. It's all about the turnout.”

The Sean Hannity Show · US Politics · September 2026

Context

Hilton, the Republican nominee for California governor, on The Sean Hannity Show on September 25, 2026, about a week before his debate with Democratic nominee Xavier Becerra.

Listen to the episode → More from Steve Hilton → More US Politics quotes →

Transcript

The Sean Hannity Show Around 04:13 into the episode

Steve Hilton

It is. It is. And here's the real number. Right. We assume that based on turnout in the last two midterms, real turnout. And what we saw in the primaries in California, our estimate is that I will need six million votes to win.

Speaker 2

Right.

Steve Hilton

…come up to me wherever I am and they're coming to our events. We're doing town halls up and down the state. We're mainly promoting them to Democrats and independents. They are coming in there hundreds and hundreds. The other day we had one with a thousand people. They're saying the same thing. I'm a lifelong Democrat, but I'm going to vote for you this year because we can't go on like this. But even if we don't get any of those, literally, if everybody in California who voted for President Trump two years ago votes for me in this election, I'll win. It's all about the turnout. And if we all show up and vote, we can win this election. And by the way, last point, this guy Becerra, I mean, he's worse than Newsom. He's worse than Newsom because he's a 36-year career politician. As HHS secretary, not only the scandal of all the migrant kids that he sent into the clutches of child sex traffickers. I mean, Bobby Kennedy puts it this way. He says Becerra turned HHS into the…

Sean Hannity

I've been to Bakersfield many times. Do you remember the Bakersfield Business Conference? I used to speak at that fairly often. And I was also, I did a show out there a number of years ago, Steve, and it was dealing with the fact that farmers can't get water. And I mean, the ground was dry and arid…

Steve Hilton

Exactly. I mean, look, I've got a very clear plan. As we go into this final stretch, it's very simple. Lower tax, cheaper gas. And we can get that done. And it's very specific plans. Your first $ 150, 000 tax-free, no state income tax. The governor writes the budget and sends it to the legislature.…

Sean Hannity

It is so ridiculous.

Speaker names come from our own diarization. The position is estimated from where the line sits in the episode.

More from The Sean Hannity Show

“Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican gubernatorial candidate from the great state of Ohio … The irony, too, is Ohio as a state is doing great. And you adopting policies, for example, that have been adopted in my free state of Florida. You know, we used to joke about it, but those are great policies for the people of Ohio.” — Sean Hannity on Vivek Ramaswamy, The Sean Hannity Show

“I want to take some of those best ideas from places like Texas and Florida … I want to make this a zero-income tax state. I want to slash property taxes in this state. I want to produce more energy, put it onto the grid. I want to combat crime and prosecute Medicaid waste, fraud, and abuse by the billions. Put that money into the pockets of hardworking Ohioans.” — Vivek Ramaswamy, The Sean Hannity Show