Republicans are doomed to remain a minority party in California for the foreseeable future, say many political analysts. Where 45% of California voters are registered as Democrats, just 25% are Republicans. Democrats hold 75% of the seats in the California legislature and Republicans just 25%. And Democrats hold every single one of California’s eight statewide offices, from the governor to the superintendent of public instruction.
Steve Hilton, the author of a new book on California, Califailure: Reversing the Ruin of America's Worst-Run State, disagrees. “If you look at the raw number of votes that President Trump got [in California], that is more than enough to elect a Republican as governor in 2026,” he said during our conversation recently. “The Trump factor is a massive opportunity for Republicans to win over the Latino vote. Working class Latinos in California have been hammered more than anyone else by extreme [Left] policies, particularly on climate. It’s absolutely possible to imagine a Republican winning statewide in 2026.”
