HUNTINGTON BEACH, California — Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton whipped a standing-room-only election-night crowd into a frenzy when he revealed the lining of his suit jacket, emblazoned with the American flag on one side and the California flag on the other.Hilton, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, took the stage shortly after 10 p.m. as early returns showed him leading in the governor’s race. Democrat Xavier Becerra also had a strong showing, while billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer seemed to be in third place.Surrounded by yellow-and-blue balloons and signs reading “Change is coming!,” Hilton thanked voters for propelling his first political campaign. Speaking to supporters gathered at the Hilton hotel in Huntington Beach, Hilton declared that “the fight really starts tomorrow.”
“As someone who is a new American citizen, so proud to be an American, so proud to be a Californian, what an incredible honor,” he said. “The first time I have run for office, over a million people and rising have voted for me to take this incredible state in a new direction.”
Hilton also pledged to represent Californians regardless of whether they supported his candidacy.
“I am here for you,” he told the cheering crowd. “For every single one of you because it’s the greatest honor of my life to stand before you … more than one million Californians have put their faith in me.”
