Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is facing criticism from members of his own party over a provocative campaign advertisement, as he tries to close a substantial polling gap with Democrat Xavier Becerra in the final month of the race. The ad, which has been described as sexually suggestive and provocative, shows two young women sitting on a bed with an LGBTQ+ flag visible behind them. One appears nervous about trying something new as the other reassures her and guides her hand, before it becomes clear they are talking about voting.
The woman directs her companion to mark her ballot for Hilton rather than Becerra and then tells her to lick the mail-in ballot envelope. The campaign ad has sparked bipartisan backlash from political figures across the spectrum. Michael Gates, the Republican candidate for attorney general who has appeared with Hilton during the campaign, said in a statement he "emphatically" denounced the use of young women as a political tool.
"I want to be clear: I do not condone Steve Hilton's "Just Try It" video. My campaign was not consulted, nor alerted to its release," Gates wrote in a post on X. "I emphatically denounce the use of young women as a political tool.
California families deserve better, and as AG, I will fight every day to protect our girls, young women, and parental rights. I guarantee it." Sonja Shaw, a candidate for state superintendent of public instruction, issued an even sharper rebuke. She criticized Hilton as well as the California Republican Party and its chairwoman for promoting the advertisement, describing it as "creepy, weird, disturbing garbage" and saying it represented why some people were leaving the party.
Robert Garcia, a California Democrat, told the Los Angeles Times that the ad was “bizarre and desperate,” arguing that Hilton was “more interested in AI slop than actually talking about issues Californians care about.” Hilton defended the ad in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, saying: “We’re just saying, you know, just try it. It’s a provocative and humorous way of making a point, right? Which often the best communication does.” The backlash comes during a difficult stage of the campaign for Hilton, a former Fox News host and former adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Hilton, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, is attempting to become California's first Republican governor in two decades. Polls have consistently placed Becerra well ahead of Hilton in California, a Democrat stronghold. A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll conducted September 15 to 20 among 4,512 likely voters found Becerra ahead by 25 percentage points, 58 percent to 33 percent.
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