Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Would Pledge To Appoint Democrat To U.S. Senate Should Vacancy Occur

Steve Hilton, a Republican candidate in California’s gubernatorial election, said he would pledge to appoint a Democrat to the U.S. Senate should a vacancy occur during his term.

“There’s an unexpected vacancy in the Senate. Would you pledge to nominate a Democrat given that the two seats currently held were voted for?” Jon Lovett asked Hilton on the “Pod Save America” podcast.

“Yes,” Hilton responded.

“I just think you’ve got to honor the vote that people took,” he added.

Watch below:

#CaliforniaGovernor

Jon Lovett: There’s an unexpected vacancy in the Senate. Would you pledge to nominate a Democrat?

Steve Hilton: Yes.

Jon Lovett: You would?

Steve Hilton: I just think you’ve got to honor the vote that people took. https://t.co/7k4aakGBuR pic.twitter.com/WOJBgxfHft

— Politics & Poll Tracker

(@PollTracker2024) September 12, 2026

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Hilton faces Democrat Xavier Becerra, California’s former attorney general and health secretary under Joe Biden, in November’s election.

Becerra also served as a U.S. representative in California from 1993 to 2017.

The two candidates will square off in a nationally televised debate later this month.

“CNN will host a California gubernatorial debate later on September 30 at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT), just weeks before Election Day as voters in the nation’s most populous state decide who will succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom,” CNN wrote.

“CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate the event, which will take place in the Los Angeles area,” it added.

CNN will host a California gubernatorial debate later on September 30 at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT), just weeks before Election Day as voters in the nation’s most populous state decide who will succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate… pic.twitter.com/cCDyTXS8e4

— CNN (@CNN) September 8, 2026

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More from The Desert Sun:

Hilton and Becerra are vying for the top seat at the state Capitol after a tumultuous June primary, where Becerra led with 28% of the vote, while Hilton secured the second spot with 24.6% of the vote.

Since the primary, Becerra has held a wide lead over Hilton in multiple polls, including an August poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, where Becerra captured 55% of likely voters, while Hilton held 37%. At the time, 7% of likely voters were undecided.

“After the unsettled and chaotic primary, this is shaping up to be a fairly standard California general election, where Democrats enjoy a comfortable edge statewide,” Professor Eric Schickler, Berkeley IGS co-director, said in a news release. “Hilton would need to make major inroads among traditionally Democratic leaning groups to make this a highly competitive race.”

The poll also found that California voters are divided along party and ideological lines, with 88% of Democrats favoring Becerra and 91% of Republicans backing Hilton.

The poll, conducted between Aug. 3 and Aug. 9, used a weighted sample of 2,310 likely November voters drawn from a larger pool of 4,207 registered voters across California. The poll’s margin of error was ±2.5 percentage points.

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Another pledge Hilton has made if he gets elected is to abolish the state’s department of motor vehicles.

According to The Guardian, Hilton said he would “set a flat $73 annual registration fee per car.”

Watch below:

Republican Steve Hilton made a bold pledge to abolish California's Department of Motor Vehicles if elected. Hilton's proposal would have drivers complete anything related to obtaining a driver's license online instead of in person. He would also cap registration at a flat fee of… pic.twitter.com/WvaXLKOfGc

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) September 11, 2026

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The Guardian shared further:

For many US motorists, updating their license at the DMV can be a herculean feat with lengthy wait times. And vehicle registration fees, which California motorists must pay annually, are steep: typically several hundred dollars a year.

However, it is unlikely the state’s DMV could be abolished. The California legislature, in which Democrats hold a supermajority in both the state assembly and senate, would need to pass Hilton’s proposed legislation.

Hilton also faces an uphill battle in the gubernatorial race. A Republican has not been elected to a statewide position in 20 years, and Hilton is trailing well behind his Democratic rival, Xavier Becerra, in recent polls.

In a news release expanding on the idea, Hilton took aim at the cost of running the state’s offices – the legislature allocated $1.46bn to the DMV for the 2025-2026 fiscal year – and the fees drivers pay for services at the DMV.

He proposed transferring some functions of the DMV online and punting routine car title and plate transactions to local county offices.

Becerra’s campaign, meanwhile, suggested his proposal would risk driver safety.

“Nothing says ‘safer roads’ like outsourcing driver safety checks to the lowest bidder,” spokesperson Jonathan Underland said in a statement.

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