Republican California gubernatorial nominee Steve Hilton has made an unexpected promise: If elected, he would appoint a Democrat to fill a hypothetical vacancy in one of the state’s U.S. Senate seats.
Hilton, a former Fox News host endorsed by President Donald Trump, made the pledge during an appearance on the liberal “Pod Save America” podcast with host Jon Lovett.
Lovett raised an imagined scenario in which Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff’s seat suddenly became vacant and asked whether Hilton would select another Democrat because California voters had elected Democrats to both Senate seats.
“Yes,” Hilton responded.
When Lovett pressed him to confirm his answer, Hilton said he believed the governor should respect the choice voters had already made.
“I just think you have to honor the vote that people took,” Hilton said, according to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Hilton’s campaign did not immediately provide the outlet with additional comment.
There is currently no vacancy in California’s Senate delegation, and Schiff has not announced plans to leave office. The Democrat’s current term runs through January 2031, according to the U.S. Senate.
California Law Gives The Governor Broad Authority
Hilton would not be legally required to preserve the departing senator’s party affiliation.
Under California Elections Code Section 10720, the governor may temporarily appoint any qualified California elector to fill a vacant Senate seat until voters choose someone to serve the remainder of the term at a statewide general election.
The statute contains no requirement that the temporary replacement belong to the same political party as the departing senator.
That means a Republican governor could legally appoint a Republican to replace a Democratic senator—or vice versa. Hilton’s promise would therefore represent a voluntary restriction on one of the most consequential appointment powers held by a governor.
For Republicans, the practical consequence is significant. Even if Hilton broke California Democrats’ long hold on the governor’s mansion, his pledge means an unexpected Senate vacancy would not automatically give the GOP an opportunity to alter the balance of power in Washington.
California Has Seen Two Recent Senate Appointments
Senate appointments are more than an obscure constitutional possibility in California. Gov. Gavin Newsom has exercised the power twice since taking office.
In December 2020, Newsom selected then-Secretary of State Alex Padilla to complete Kamala Harris’ Senate term after she was elected vice president. Padilla became California’s first Latino U.S. senator and subsequently won election to a full term.
Newsom used the authority again following Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death in 2023, appointing EMILY’s List President Laphonza Butler to complete the remainder of Feinstein’s term.
Both appointments preserved Democratic control of the seats.
Hilton’s position applies that same party-preservation principle even though he is campaigning as the Republican alternative to years of Democratic control in Sacramento.
Trump Backed Hilton’s Bid
Trump endorsed Hilton in April, describing him as someone who had watched California decline under its current leadership and arguing that the former television host could help restore the state.
Hilton later advanced from California’s June 2 top-two primary and will face Democrat Xavier Becerra in November. Becerra previously served as California attorney general and as Health and Human Services secretary under President Joe Biden. California’s official primary results confirmed Hilton and Becerra as the two gubernatorial finalists.
Hilton is competing in a state where registered Democrats continue to substantially outnumber Republicans. As of May 18, Democrats accounted for 44.9% of California’s registered voters, compared with 24.96% for Republicans. Another 22.82% registered with no party preference, according to the California secretary of state.
The unusual pledge offers voters a clearer picture of how Hilton would approach the office if he manages to win it: Although he is running with Trump’s endorsement, he says he would not use an unexpected Senate vacancy to overturn the partisan choice California voters previously made.
