Steve Hilton's Suggestive Campaign Ad Sparks Debate

California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton ran an ad featuring two young women and using double entendre to encourage Gen Z voters to support his campaign. Outlets across the political spectrum have questioned how other Republicans might respond to the provocative ad as well as how it might affect his chances in the election.

The Details: The ad featured two young women with unnaturally colored hair sitting in a dark bedroom with a LGBTQ flag visible in the background. One of the women said, "I've never done anything like this before. What if my dad finds out?" The other woman told her to close her eyes and let her do all the work, and their hands move below the screen. The ad then cut to their hands and showed one woman helping the other fill in the "Steve Hilton" bubble on a mail-in ballot. She then made a risque comment to ask the other woman to help her seal the ballot envelope.

For Context: Steve Hilton is running as a Republican and polling about 25 points behind the Democratic gubernatorial nominee Xaiver Becerra. He has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. The Republican candidate for California's attorney general, Michael Gates, denounced the ad, writing on X, "I emphatically denounce the use of young women as a political tool. California families deserve better, and as AG, I will fight every day to protect our girls, young women, and parental rights. I guarantee it." Hilton defended the ad, saying, "We're just saying, you know, just try it. It's a provocative and humorous way of making a point, right? Which often the best communication does." Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt reacted to the ad on X, writing, "OK now this is a brilliant ad. OMFG."

How the Media Covered It: Outlets on the left emphasized criticism from both Republicans and Democrats. New York Times (Lean Left bias) highlighted critiques from Gates as well as other California Republicans, such as the Republican candidate for state superintendent of public instruction Sonja Shaw. The Times wrote that the "negative response" and "befuddlement" to the ad were immediate. Newsweek (Center), similarly to other outlets, noted that a variety of polls have placed Becerra "well ahead" of Hilton even before the ad ran. Just the News (Lean Right) characterized the ad as an "attempt to appeal to potential young and liberal swing voters" and included Shaw's claim that the ad is "creepy, weird, disturbing garbage."

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