With California’s gubernatorial primary less than two months away, the eyes of the political world are increasingly turning to the Golden State. Along with hosting discussions with California political insiders, 13th & Park has been speaking to several of the candidates themselves.
A production of the Brian Ballard–founded Ballard Partners, 13th & Park is a digital show with more than 3 million subscribers on YouTube. As California’s primary day nears, let’s learn more about three candidates for governor who have been guests on 13th & Park.
Steve Hilton
With the Democratic vote divided among several candidates, the frontrunner in the primary race is a Republican. In California’s open primary elections, the top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, proceed to the general election. After securing President Trump’s endorsement in early April, Steve Hilton has, as of this writing, surged ahead to lead in most polls.
A UK native, Hilton entered politics with a position in the Conservative Party during the Thatcher administration. He later built a career as a businessman and restaurateur before joining David Cameron’s campaign for prime minister. After Cameron won, Hilton served in his administration as a senior advisor.
Hilton and his family moved to California in 2012. Since then, he has become known to many US political observers as the host of Fox News Channel’s The Next Revolution. He has also hosted the podcasts The Steve Hilton Show and California Rebel Base.
Hilton joined 13th & Park in April to discuss his vision for the Golden State. Having lambasted the “staggering incompetence of Democrat one-party rule,” Hilton spoke with host Adam Goodman about how the Democratic Party has steered California in the wrong direction and what it will take for him to win in a Democrat-dominated state.
Chad Bianco
Sitting a few points behind Hilton in most polls is another Republican. The sheriff of Riverside County, Chad Bianco sat down with 13th & Park cohost Anthony Williams in April to discuss his run for governor.
Bianco was born in Utah and moved with his family to the Golden State in 1989. He seized the opportunity the state extended him, graduating from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Academy at the top of his class and subsequently joining the Riverside County Sherriff’s Department. He was elected sheriff of Riverside County in 2018, then reelected in 2022.
Bianco believes that opportunity he found as a young man no longer exists for many Californians today. On his episode of 13th & Park, he gave his perspective on affordability in the context of the state’s cost-of-living crisis, which he believes has been driven by statewide failures. He also discussed housing, taxes, and the different brand of leadership he would bring to California.
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa was mulling a run for governor when he spoke with Anthony Williams for an episode released in June 2025. A month later, he made his candidacy official, entering a crowded field. Villaraigosa has failed to gain much traction, consistently polling in the low single digits. However, with former Democratic frontrunner Eric Swalwell dropping out of the race in April, and so many California voters still undecided, Villaraigosa may see an opening to reach the top two.
Early polling following Swalwell’s exit suggests that, unfortunately for Villaraigosa, Democrats Tom Steyer and Xavier Becerra may be filling that opening. Even if Villaraigosa’s gubernatorial candidacy isn’t successful, however, his legacy in California politics is already significant.
Born in Los Angeles in 1953, Villaraigosa worked as a teachers union organizer before running successfully for the California State Assembly in 1994. He was elected Assembly Speaker four years later and spent his tenure focused on improving public schools, strengthening water-quality enforcement, and creating a state health insurance program.
Villaraigosa won election to the Los Angeles City Council in 2003, then successfully ran for mayor in 2005, becoming the first Latino to hold the office since 1872. Over two terms leading the city, he focused on improving public safety while implementing school, environmental, and transit reforms.
