Hilton’s Tax Cuts and Rail Project Delays Narrow California Polling Gap

Steve Hilton, the Republican nominee for governor of California, stated on Monday he believes voters are tired of Democrat leadership.

Hilton pointed to California’s long-delayed high-speed rail project, which voters approved in 2008. The initiative was initially scheduled for completion by 2020 at an estimated cost of $33 billion but has seen no track laid.

The project is now projected to be fully operational by 2040, with its estimated cost climbing to $126 billion and potentially reaching as high as $231 billion.

“We’re still paying for it. That’s the real scandal,” Hilton said during a recent interview.

“When it really will run out of money is the first day I’m in office, because I will cancel payments and use it as part of what we’re calling ‘Operation Zero Waste’ to cut taxes in California.”

Hilton has proposed eliminating state income taxes on the first $150,000 earned by Californians. Facing Democrat nominee Xavier Becerra, he said he is encouraged by the race’s progress despite being in a deep blue state.

“I’m the opposite of complacent,” he added. “We’ve got a long, strong fight ahead of us, and we’re ready for that, but we’ve really closed the gap.”

Hilton noted the polling gap has narrowed from 25 points after the primary to 8 points more recently.

“But that’s because we’ve been laying out my positive plan,” he said. “Saying enough is enough: Let’s fix California with $3 gas and cut utility bills in half.”

Hilton also criticized Becerra’s record as secretary of Health and Human Services under former President Joe Biden, stating: “He was responsible for nearly half a million unaccompanied migrant kids. He dismantled the vetting that was supposed to put them with safe homes.”

“As a result,” Hilton added, “thousands of children were sent to child sex traffickers and child labor traffickers. And as far as I’m concerned, that makes him unfit for any public office, let alone governor of California.”

“We’ve been telling that story strongly, and people are responding.”