Steve Hilton to Newsmax: Encouraged by Emerson Poll Results

California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton told Newsmax on Wednesday he is encouraged by a new Emerson College poll showing him leading the primary field, saying voters are ready to move on from Democratic leadership under Gov. Gavin Newsom.

"We've been working hard," Hilton said on "Bianca Across the Nation." "We've been traveling the state up and down town halls just in the last couple of months."

He added that his campaign has one simple point: "We can't go on with 16 years of one-party rule in California."

The poll, released earlier Wednesday, shows Hilton leading the California gubernatorial primary field at 17%, in a poll carrying a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Hilton is followed by Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell and Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who are tied at 14%.

Former Democrat Rep. Katie Porter polled at 10%, and Democrat businessman Tom Steyer received 9%, with 21% of likely voters remaining undecided.

Hilton pointed to what he described as the state's poor economic performance under Democratic leadership.

"It's a total disaster," he said. "[We have] the worst results of any state in the country, the highest poverty, highest unemployment, highest cost of living, and people are sick of it," he said.

"And actually, I know people are watching around the country [and] may think, oh, how can a Republican win in California?" Hilton said. "It is because the Democrats under Newsom have done such a disastrous job, and we've got voter ID on the ballot in November that's going to help Republicans come out to vote, so I'm really confident we can pull this off."

He also criticized Newsom's focus on international travel and comments about national politics.

"It's disgusting that he's running around Europe attacking our president while his own state is a total disaster," Hilton said.

"I mean, as you mentioned, the cost of living [is] the highest in the country, the taxes, we didn't even get to the homelessness and the crime and some of the worst school results in the country, everything it is, and instead of dealing with that, he's off attacking President [Donald] Trump," he added.

Addressing rebuilding efforts following California wildfires, Hilton said progress has stalled.

"Nowhere, because these people are just utterly," he said, before continuing, "I sometimes call Newsom a MUGA."

"We talk about MAGA for President Trump, Newsom's a MUGA, the most useless governor in America, totally useless," Hilton added. "He promised a Marshall plan to rebuild L.A. [but] nothing is happening."

Hilton contrasted Newsom with Trump.

"And the president, of course, is stepping in to do something about it, because the only action we're getting is from the federal government, because you've got a builder who knows how to get things done, whereas with Newsom you've got this ridiculous empty talker," he said.

Hilton said voters are focused on issues affecting their daily lives.

"I mean, as you mentioned, the cost of living is the highest in the country, the taxes, we didn't even get to the homelessness and the crime, and some of the worst school results in the country, everything it is," he said.

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