Steve Hilton
Steve Hilton is a fascinating figure whose career spans the corridors of British power, the innovation hubs of Silicon Valley, and the opinion shows of American cable news. From shaping the Conservative Party's image to advising a UK Prime Minister, and later becoming a vocal US political commentator, his journey offers a unique lens into modern politics and media. He's a strategist, an author, and now a burgeoning force in California policy, always pushing for what he sees as a more human-centered world. Hilton's early life as a Hungarian immigrant's son profoundly shaped his views on social welfare and individual agency. He was a key architect of David Cameron's 'modern Conservative' image, advocating for a more progressive and environmentally conscious party. After moving to the US, Hilton transitioned into media, becoming a prominent conservative voice on Fox News, while also engaging in tech entrepreneurship and California policy reform.
AI Summary
Steve Hilton is a fascinating figure whose career spans the corridors of British power, the innovation hubs of Silicon Valley, and the opinion shows of American cable news. From shaping the Conservative Party's image to advising a UK Prime Minister, and later becoming a vocal US political commentator, his journey offers a unique lens into modern politics and media. He's a strategist, an author, and now a burgeoning force in California policy, always pushing for what he sees as a more human-centered world.
- Hilton's early life as a Hungarian immigrant's son profoundly shaped his views on social welfare and individual agency.
- He was a key architect of David Cameron's 'modern Conservative' image, advocating for a more progressive and environmentally conscious party.
- After moving to the US, Hilton transitioned into media, becoming a prominent conservative voice on Fox News, while also engaging in tech entrepreneurship and California policy reform.
From London to Whitehall: An Early Life Shaped by Struggle
Stephen Glenn Charles Hilton, born in London in 1969, emerged from a challenging background that would undoubtedly influence his later political perspectives. His parents, with the original surname Hircsák, fled Hungary during the 1956 revolution, seeking asylum in Britain and later anglicizing their name to Hilton.
His father was a notable ice hockey goaltender for the Hungarian national team in the 1930s. But after arriving in Britain, his parents worked in catering at Heathrow Airport. When Steve was just five, his parents divorced, plunging his family into significant financial hardship, relying on state benefits and living in a cold, damp basement apartment.
Despite these early struggles, Hilton's academic talent shone through. He secured a bursary to the prestigious Christ's Hospital School in Sussex, a unique institution with a distinctive uniform and a strong tradition of supporting bright students from less privileged backgrounds. He later went on to study Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at New College, Oxford.
Shaping the Conservative Image: From Campaign Ads to 'Blue Sky' Strategy
After graduating, Hilton began his career at Conservative Central Office, where he quickly made a name for himself. It was here he met David Cameron and his future wife, Rachel Whetstone, laying the groundwork for significant political collaborations.
He worked closely with the party's advertising firm, Saatchi and Saatchi, even orchestrating the controversial 'New Labour, New Danger' demon eyes poster campaign in 1996. While it won an advertising award, some critics later speculated it may have contrasted unfavorably with Labour's more positive messaging in an election the Conservatives famously lost badly.
Hilton was known for his unconventional, sometimes 'wacky' thinking, even allegedly voting Green in 2001. Yet, he became instrumental in Cameron's efforts to re-brand the Conservative Party as 'green' and more socially progressive, aiming to move beyond its traditional grassroots membership.
From 2010 to 2012, Hilton served as Director of Strategy for Prime Minister David Cameron, a role where his 'blue sky thinking' sometimes caused friction within Whitehall. His bold ideas included advocating for severe cuts to civil servant numbers and welfare spending, reflecting a consistent belief in smaller, more efficient government.
His distinctive approach to politics and communications even led to him being satirized in the popular BBC comedy 'The Thick of It' as the herbal-tea-drinking publicist, Stewart Pearson, a testament to his memorable—and sometimes eccentric—persona in British political circles.
A Transatlantic Shift: Tech, Books, and Academia
After his time in government, Hilton embarked on a new chapter, moving to the United States. He joined the ranks of academia, spending a year as a visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, and also taught at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design.
His experience in political strategy and a desire to democratize political engagement led him to co-found Crowdpac.com. This Silicon Valley technology start-up aimed to empower citizens by providing a platform for political crowdfunding, initiating a beta service in the UK in 2016, though Hilton would resign as CEO in 2018.
Hilton also became a published author, penning the Sunday Times bestseller 'More Human: Designing A World Where People Come First' in 2015. The book advocates for decentralization—smaller, more human-scale organizations—and critiques large institutions, from government and big business to factory farms.
From UK Strategist to US Commentator: The Fox News Years
In the US, Hilton's public profile grew significantly through his work with Fox News. He became a contributor for the network and, from 2017 to 2023, hosted 'The Next Revolution,' a weekly current affairs show where he championed what he called 'positive populism.'
During this period, Hilton openly endorsed Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. His tenure at Fox News also saw him take strong stances on controversial issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, as lockdowns were implemented, Hilton recommended President Trump end social distancing measures, arguing the 'cure could be worse than the disease' due to economic damage. He also later asserted that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was the most likely source of the COVID-19 virus, and made claims about Dr. Anthony Fauci's involvement, allegations which PolitiFact described as an unsubstantiated 'conspiracy theory.'
After Trump's defeat in the 2020 election, Hilton used his Fox News broadcast to demand an investigation into claims of election fraud, with clips of his segments being tweeted by Trump himself. In June 2023, 'The Next Revolution' concluded, allowing Hilton to focus on a new policy organization, though he remains a Fox News contributor.
Family, Citizenship, and California Policy
Hilton is married to Rachel Whetstone, a prominent figure in her own right, having served as a political aide to Michael Howard and held senior communication roles at Google, Uber, and currently Netflix. The couple also served as godparents to David Cameron's son, Ivan, who tragically passed away at age six.
Embracing his new home, Hilton became a U.S. citizen in May 2021, solidifying his commitment to American political and social life. His recent focus has shifted towards state-level policy in California.
In 2023, he co-founded Golden Together, a bipartisan research institute, alongside Lanhee Chen and Gloria Romero, aiming to tackle pressing issues in the state. One of his immediate priorities is addressing California's housing shortage.
He has proposed a ballot initiative designed to reduce the housing shortage by limiting private lawsuits under the California Environmental Quality Act and capping impact fees for homebuilders. While some, like the San Francisco Chronicle's Joe Garofoli, termed it a 'developer giveaway,' they also acknowledged its potential to stabilize construction and draw attention to the housing crisis.
A Bid for Governorship
Looking to enact change directly, Steve Hilton officially launched his campaign for California Governor as a Republican candidate on April 21, 2025. He's received an endorsement from fellow Republican and gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, with Gloria Romero announcing her intent to run as his lieutenant governor, signaling his continued engagement in shaping policy and leadership in his adopted home.
Article
Steve Hilton
Stephen Glenn Charles Hilton (born 25 August 1969) is a British-born American conservative political commentator, former political adviser, and contributor for the Fox News Channel. He served as director of strategy for British prime minister David Cameron from 2010 to 2012. Hilton hosted The Next Revolution, a weekly current affairs show for Fox News from 2017 to 2023. He is a proponent of what he calls "positive populism" and is a strong supporter of US president Donald Trump. He was a co-founder of the crowd-funding platform Crowdpac, and its CEO until 2018. Hilton is the Republican Party's candidate for Governor of California in the 2026 gubernatorial election, in which he will face the Democratic Party's candidate, Xavier Becerra.
Early life
Steve Hilton
Stephen Glenn Charles Hilton was born on 25 August 1969, in London, England. His parents, whose original surname was Hircsák (which some sources spell "Hircksac"), emigrated from Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. They came to Britain, initially claiming asylum, and anglicised their name to Hilton. Hilton's father, István, had been goaltender for the Hungarian national ice hockey team and was considered one of the best ice hockey players in Europe during the 1930s.
After arriving in Britain, his parents initially worked in catering at Heathrow Airport. Growing up, he visited Hungary during the holidays. Hilton's parents divorced when he was five years old, resulting in what he has described as a struggle and great financial hardship. His father died when he was seven years old. His mother worked in a shoe shop but was dependent primarily on state benefits, and the two lived in a basement flat.
He was given a bursary to Christ's Hospital School in Horsham in Sussex, before studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at New College, Oxford.
Career
Steve Hilton
After graduating, Hilton worked for the Conservative Central Office, where he came to know David Cameron and Rachel Whetstone, who became his wife and was later hired as Senior Vice-President of Policy and Communications for Uber. Hilton liaised with the party's advertising firm, Saatchi and Saatchi. During this time Hilton bought the "New Labour, New Danger" demon eyes poster campaign for the Conservative Party's pre-general election campaign in 1996. The ad won an award from the advertising industry's Campaign magazine at the beginning of 1997.
The Conservatives later experienced their worst election defeat for more than half a century, with some journalists speculating that the poster contrasted unfavourably with Labour's more positive campaign. Prior to the 2005 general election, Hilton lost to the future education secretary Michael Gove in his bid to be the Conservative candidate in Surrey Heath.
Hilton talked of the need to "replace" the traditionally minded grassroots membership of the Conservative Party, which he considered to be preventing the party from adopting a more metropolitan attitude towards social issues.
It is alleged that Hilton said "I voted Green" after the Labour landslide of 2001, but then worked with Cameron to re-fashion the Conservative Party as "green" and progressive. According to The Economist in 2012 Hilton "remains appallingly understood". There were reports that Hilton's "blue sky thinking" caused conflict in Whitehall and, according to Nicholas Watt of The Guardian, Liberal Democrats around deputy prime minister Nick Clegg considered him to be a "refreshing but wacky thinker".
Hilton was satirised by the BBC comedy The Thick of It as the herbal-tea drinking publicist Stewart Pearson.
Hilton was director of strategy for Cameron from 2010 to 2012, working alongside James O'Shaughnessy, the director of the Number 10 Policy Unit. His last memo advocated severely reducing the number of civil servants and further decreasing benefits.
Hilton is a co-founder and former CEO of Crowdpac.com, a Silicon Valley technology start-up company. In April 2016, Crowdpac initiated a beta service in the UK. Hilton resigned from Crowdpac in May 2018. Crowdpac also suspended fundraising for Republican Party candidates.
Hilton in 2015
In May 2015, Hilton joined the UK research institute Policy Exchange as a visiting scholar.
He is the author of the Sunday Times bestseller More Human: Designing A World Where People Come First, published in May 2015. It advocates smaller, more human-scale organisations and is critical of large government and business, including factory farms and banks. With Giles Gibbons, Hilton co-authored Good Business: Your World Needs You, published in 2002.
He spent a year as a visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, has been a scholar at Stanford's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and has taught at Stanford's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design.
In 2023, Hilton initiated Golden Together, a bipartisan research institute, with Lanhee Chen and Gloria Romero. The same year, he proposed a ballot initiative designed to reduce the housing shortage in California. The measure would prohibit private lawsuits related to the California Environmental Quality Act and cap impact fees paid by homebuilders and developers. The San Francisco Chronicle's Joe Garofoli termed the ballot initiative a "developer giveaway", noting that it would give developers two of their major desires, but also that it may help to stabilise construction workforces and draw more attention to housing issues in California. The measure failed to qualify for the November 2024 ballot because his campaign and organizers did not raise enough money to collect the required ~546,651 valid voter signatures by the mid-May 2024 deadline.
Fox News
In November 2016, writing for Fox News, Hilton announced his endorsement for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. Starting in 2017, he presented the weekly show The Next Revolution on Fox News Channel. On 1 June 2023 Fox News announced that The Next Revolution would be ending its run as Hilton began "to focus on his new California non-partisan policy organization". Hilton remains with the network as a contributor.
COVID-19 pandemic
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and soon after social distancing measures and lockdowns were implemented, Hilton recommended that President Donald Trump end the measures. Hilton criticised "our ruling class and their TV mouthpieces [for] whipping up fear over this virus". Hilton suggested "the cure could be worse than the disease"; or more specifically that the long-term public health consequences resulting from the economic damage of a lockdown would be worse than the short-term public health consequences of the virus itself. Trump later appeared to mimic what Hilton said in one of his tweets.
In January 2021, Hilton asserted that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was the most likely source of the COVID-19 virus and claimed that Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical advisor to the president, commissioned the work that resulted in the virus's development. PolitiFact described Hilton's claims as "rely[ing] on a series of unsubstantiated allegations to spin a conspiracy theory about the virus being a lab creation".
2020 election fraud claims
After Trump was defeated by Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, Hilton demanded an investigation into claims of election fraud on his Fox News broadcast, clips of which were tweeted by Trump.
2026 California gubernatorial election
On 21 April 2025, Hilton launched his campaign for Governor of California as a Republican candidate. He also held a campaign announcement event in Huntington Beach. Hilton was endorsed by the 2024 Republican presidential candidate and 2026 Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Gloria Romero announced that she would be his running mate as lieutenant governor. On 6 April 2026, Hilton's candidacy was endorsed by Trump.
Hilton received 44 per cent of delegate votes at the California Republican Party's spring convention, second to Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who received 49 per cent. Neither candidate reached the 60 per cent threshold required for a formal party endorsement, leaving the California Republican Party without an official gubernatorial candidate ahead of the primary. As of April 2026, Hilton had raised over $6.6 million for his campaign.
On 9 June 2026, seven days after the primary election, the Associated Press called Hilton as one of the top-two candidates in the primary election who will advance to the general election in November. He will face Xavier Becerra of the Democratic Party in the general election.
Hilton has largely run a campaign focused on bipartisan reform. Appearing on Pod Save America, he pledged to appoint a Democrat to fill a United States Senate Vacancy.
Hilton has pledged to make significant changes to California's economy, including reducing gas prices to just $3 per gallon, lowering utility bills, and abolishing income taxes for individuals earning less than $150,000 per year. Additionally, he plans to increase the availability of starter homes and revamp the business environment, focusing particularly on the entertainment and agricultural sectors. Hilton's proposals are a direct response to California's unusual gas price situation, where the average price per gallon is $4.58, significantly higher than the national average of $3.18.
Despite being home to a significant amount of oil, California has the highest gas prices in the US. Hilton's proposal for addressing California's high gas prices includes a series of key measures. First, he wants to eliminate unnecessary expenses and taxes that are driving up the cost of gas. He also proposes suspending certain regulations that are adding to the cost of producing gas in California. Additionally, Hilton wants to streamline government processes and reform the way the state buys fuel to cut the gas tax in half. Finally, he suggests increasing California's domestic oil production to reduce the state's reliance on imported oil.
Personal life
Steve Hilton
Hilton is married to Rachel Whetstone, a former aide (political secretary) to the Conservative party leader Michael Howard. Whetstone, a British citizen, is the former head of communications at Google, former senior vice-president of policy and communications of Uber, former chief communications officer of Netflix, and as of March 2025, oversees communications for AI startup Sierra. The couple were godparents to David Cameron's son, Ivan, who died at the age of six.
Hilton became a US citizen in May 2021, and renounced his British citizenship in 2025.