Steve Hilton, the former David Cameron strategist known for his unconventional and provocative ideas, has emerged as an unlikely frontrunner in the primary race for California governor. Hilton, who gained prominence in the 2000s and 2010s for modernizing the Conservative Party and serving as Cameron's director of strategy, is now campaigning on a platform to make California “Califordable.”
From Westminster to Sacramento
Hilton’s rise in British politics was marked by a series of bold, often zany proposals, such as using state-owned cloud busters to make the UK sunnier. He was also known for his unorthodox working style, reportedly padding the halls of Downing Street in socks and ordering civil servants to enact his latest schemes—a quirk parodied in the BBC political satire The Thick Of It. His tenure included the “hug a hoodie” campaign, aimed at rehabilitating the Conservative Party’s image, but also controversial pushes, such as scrapping maternity leave.
Now, Hilton seeks to transition from behind-the-scenes aide to elected official. However, many are skeptical about how his disruptive approach will translate to governance. Former Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable, who served in Cameron’s coalition government, described Hilton as an “ideologue rather than doer, gadfly not a serious politician,” adding that his big idea, the “Big Society,” was a disappointment. Cable believes Hilton can only be elected “by freak accident.”
A former government adviser who worked alongside Hilton in No. 10 was blunt: “He would be terrible! He is someone who was very quickly insanely frustrated with how government works in reality. He comes in with these incredibly wild ideas, wants them all to happen instantly, isn’t interested in compromise, and when it doesn’t happen he throws his toys out the pram.”
A former cabinet minister echoed these concerns, expressing puzzlement at Hilton’s gubernatorial ambitions. “I remember there was literally no one who got more frustrated with the way government worked in the UK (and that was when things were working quite well under Cameron!). The US state is usually considered even more dysfunctional than in the UK, so I wonder how he will get on.”
A Hardcore MAGA Supporter?
Some have expressed surprise that the man credited with making the Tories seem more liberal has become a “hardcore MAGA” supporter who claims to have Donald Trump “on speed-dial.” However, a close friend of Hilton’s disputes this characterization. “He’s not gone from a cuddly Cameroon to a hard-Maga populist—it’s more nuanced. He is a disruptor and believes in shaking as much up as possible. That is what Cameroonism was.” Indeed, Hilton still refers to himself as an environmentalist and says tackling the climate crisis is important. He has claimed that Democrats “steal” his ideas.
Would Hilton’s penchant for disruption land well in California? “I don’t think the Californians would appreciate it,” one former colleague said. “He loses his temper very quickly. I feel he found the act of governing and the compromises required almost beneath him.” Andy Coulson, the former communications chief later jailed over phone hacking, wrote in the Telegraph that Hilton had an apparent disdain for detail. “I would ask: ‘So how does that work then?’ If I got an answer at all, it was along the lines of: ‘It’ll be fine—just you see.’ That was mildly irritating, as it was my team who would have to get out and sell the latest product from Steve’s dream factory.”
Supporters See Disruption as Asset
Other former friends and colleagues view this as slightly unfair and believe Hilton’s unorthodox approach could bear more fruit in the US. Giles Kenningham, former head of press at No. 10, said: “I think in an age of huge volatility and disruption, where we are seeing industries being rendered obsolete overnight, AI upending things, we need someone who challenges the status quo, who is agile and who has the ability to push things through. That’s Steve.”
A friend of Hilton’s concurred: “What makes him liked and successful, being ambitious and doing slightly ridiculous things, being a bit out there—being ‘extra,’ as the kids call it—are exactly things that people have a go at you for over here.” They added: “Steve gets on with Trump because he knows how to wind people up and make fun of himself. If you take everything he says seriously, then more fool you.”
Primary Prospects
While unseating the Democrats for the first time in two decades in one of their safest states—particularly for a quirky Briton who is friends with Trump—seems a long shot, Hilton’s friends warn against underestimating him. Some polls are showing Hilton tied in the lead for the primary, which would have seemed implausible before. “He moved out to California in 2012 and I went to visit him shortly after,” a friend said. “He told me then his ultimate ambition was to be governor, and I laughed at him. But now look! He’s doing well!”
His friend added that Hilton was often ahead of the zeitgeist: “He’s always been a Trump fan, he predicted Trump would win in 2016 and people laughed at him. His modernisation of the Tory party was controversial and mocked at the time, but it delivered a win.” If he isn’t successful in the US, might Hilton return to “disrupt” politics in the UK? “No,” a good friend said, “he is in love with California, but more importantly he views the UK as a complete mess.”
