Gianno Caldwell, a Fox News contributor who left Los Angeles in 2020 for Florida, has published an opinion piece throwing his support behind Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton ahead of California’s November election against Democrat Xavier Becerra.
Caldwell writes that he lived in Los Angeles from 2017 until May 2020, two months into the city’s pandemic shutdown, and describes watching homeless encampments spread and crime rise during that period. He says he relocated to Miami, citing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s handling of the state during COVID-19.
In his piece, Caldwell argues that California’s cost of living, including some of the nation’s highest gas prices and housing costs, has worsened under 16 years of one-party Democratic control of Sacramento. He points to Hilton’s economic proposals as a reason for voters to back him, including eliminating state income tax on the first $150,000 a Californian earns, repealing the state gas tax and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, and increasing in-state oil production with the stated goal of bringing gas down to $3 a gallon.
On housing, Caldwell notes Hilton’s plan to streamline building codes and limit lawsuits filed under the California Environmental Quality Act, which Hilton’s campaign says are routinely used to block new housing construction.
A Public Safety Endorsement from Yolo County
Caldwell, founder of the Caldwell Institute for Public Safety, highlights Hilton’s endorsement from Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig, who authored Proposition 36, the 2024 ballot measure that nearly 70% of California voters approved to restore stricter penalties for repeat theft and drug offenses. Caldwell frames the endorsement as evidence of Hilton’s commitment to law enforcement, noting Hilton’s stated positions calling for tougher crime policies and stronger support for police, alongside enforcement against street encampments paired with expanded mental health and addiction treatment.
Caldwell also contrasts the two campaigns’ public schedules, noting that Hilton has campaigned across California since the June primary and appeared at a Los Angeles Times candidate forum this month to answer questions on homelessness, housing and climate, while Becerra, a former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary under President Joe Biden, did not attend that forum and has kept a lower public profile.
Caldwell references Hilton’s family background, noting his parents fled communist Hungary, as part of his argument that Hilton understands the dangers of expansive government control.
California’s gubernatorial election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3. Caldwell’s piece acknowledges that polling currently shows Hilton as the underdog in the race, while noting that California has previously elected Republican governors, including Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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