All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

CA Governor Candidate Steve Hilton on Why California is Destroying Itself & How a Republican Can Win

April 29, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Steve Hilton, a Republican candidate for California governor with a background as a UK political advisor to David Cameron and a Silicon Valley resident since 2012, discusses California's economic decline and his proposals to reverse it. Raised by Hungarian refugees who fled communism, Hilton draws on his stepfather's escape story and Margaret Thatcher's influence to emphasize freedom, hard work, and low taxes over high-regulation statism.

Tax Cuts and Spending Reductions

Hilton's flagship policy, released on launch day, eliminates state income tax for households earning under $100,000—low-income by California standards in many counties—and imposes a 7.5% flat tax above that threshold. This targets working poor squeezed by the nation's highest gas prices, electricity bills (except Hawaii), housing, and insurance costs, while simplifying a complex system that burdens even mid-income earners (e.g., 9.3% tax on $70,000-$90,000 incomes). About one-third of households (7 million) would pay zero state income tax.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **Intro and Candidate Welcome** - Hosts introduce Steve Hilton as leading Republican gubernatorial candidate with unique Brit immigrant background.
2 (01:23) **Personal Background and Family Story** - Hilton shares refugee parents from Hungary, stepfather's 1956 escape, working-class UK upbringing.
3 (05:02) **Political Evolution from Thatcher Influence** - Shaped by UK's 1970s collapse, Thatcher's pro-work reforms; contrasts with California's high taxes, regulation mirroring UK's failures.
4 (08:36) **Pro-Worker Tax Plan Overview** - No state income tax under $100k; 7.5% flat tax above; modeled with Hoover economists.
5 (14:28) **Spending Cuts to Fund Tax Relief** - Roll back budget bloat (doubled in 10 years); unsustainable post-pandemic expansions baked in.
6 (15:46) **Cal Doge Fraud Exposés** - Four reports via state controller candidate detail $425B waste over 5 years (~20% of budget annually).
7 (20:58) **Overcoming Dem-Led Legislature** - Bipartisan potential (e.g., Katie Porter adopts tax idea); line-item veto, coalition experience from UK.