Source: Fortune.com
Summary
Steve Hilton, a Republican candidate for California governor, has launched his general election campaign with a focus on winning over left-leaning voters. He has promised to reduce the price of gasoline to $3 a gallon, cut residents’ utility bills in half, and eliminate state income taxes on the first $150,000 in earnings. Hilton blames the state’s problems on Democrats and has tried to create distance from President Donald Trump, who has endorsed him. His Democratic opponent, Xavier Becerra, has called Hilton “Trump’s puppet in California.”
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The numbers tell one story. Hilton’s campaign promises are aimed at addressing the state’s high cost of living, but making good on them won’t be easy. He would need the consent of a Democratic-controlled Legislature to change the state’s income tax structure. Hilton’s maneuver is meant to create distance from Trump without breaking from him. The strategy enters a familiar phase. Hilton’s appeal to Democrats and independents is a long shot in a heavily Democratic state. The announcement sounds familiar. Hilton’s campaign is hoping to “give voters a permission slip” to look past the letter next to a candidate’s name.
Hilton’s pitch is a tacit nod to the political math in California, where registered Republicans are outnumbered nearly 2-to-1 by Democratic voters. The state is regarded as the home of the so-called Trump resistance, where Democrats have effectively used Trump as a foil in campaigns to motivate voters. Hilton’s campaign is hoping to reframe the situation, but it’s unclear if it will work.
Author: Evan Null
