Can the GOP pull off a California upset? (with Steve Hilton)

Can the GOP pull off a California upset? (with Steve Hilton)

From The Conversation with Dasha Burns by POLITICO

April 17, 2026 · 36 min

About this episode

Dasha Burns interviews Steve Hilton about the implications of Eric Swalwell's exit from the California governor's race and the GOP's chances in the upcoming primary.

California’s governor's race just got a major shakeup. Democrat Eric Swalwell dropped out amid sexual assault and misconduct allegations, and now the field is wide open ahead of the June 2 primary. So where does that leave Republican candidate and former Fox News host Steve Hilton – backed by Trump and rising in the polls? Does the GOP have a shot at turning California red? Dasha Burns sat down with Hilton to talk about the state of the race, the impact of Trump's endorsement, and where he thinks Democratic leadership is coming up short. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Dasha Burns

Guest: Steve Hilton

Topics covered

  • California governor's race
  • Republican Party
  • Trump endorsement
  • Democratic leadership
  • political polls

Keywords

  • California
  • governor's race
  • Steve Hilton
  • Trump
  • Republican Party
  • Eric Swalwell
  • politics
  • polls

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Fox News, Trump

Places: California

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