According to CalMatters Housing, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has stirred up controversy with a provocative new campaign ad designed to appeal to liberal voters. The digital advertisement features two young women and uses suggestive imagery and language to encourage people to vote for Hilton, with the tagline "Just try it!" The campaign strategy appears designed to reach California voters who might not typically consider voting Republican, especially as Hilton faces Democrat Xavier Becerra in an upcoming statewide race.
What surprised many observers is that the backlash came primarily from Hilton's own conservative allies rather than from the left. Several prominent Republicans publicly criticized the ad, with California school board president Sonja Shaw calling it "creepy, weird, disturbing garbage" and questioning why good people stay in the Republican Party. Evangelical pastor Jack Hibbs made homophobic comments in response, while Republican attorney general candidate Michael Gates condemned what he saw as the sexualized portrayal of young women in the advertisement.
Hilton, a British American with a background in political advertising, has previously worked to soften conservative attitudes toward LGBTQ issues during his time advising British politics. However, his California campaign has taken different positions, including opposing transgender girls' participation in girls' sports. The candidate's team is reportedly planning additional ads in this series as part of a broader effort to reach unconventional voters.
When asked about the conservative criticism, Hilton dismissed it as a strategic disagreement rather than a fundamental split. He pointed out that generating strong reactions is part of attention-grabbing advertising, comparing it to provocative art. Republican admaker Fred Davis praised the ad as "brilliant" for getting attention, though he questioned whether it would actually persuade the voters it targets to support Hilton.
What I am seeing locally here in the Bay Area is that voters across the political spectrum are becoming increasingly sensitive to how campaigns talk about their values and their families. Controversy like this reminds us that messaging matters, and what might generate headlines doesn't always translate into votes. For buyers and sellers working with me, what matters most is staying focused on the fundamentals of the market and making decisions based on your real estate needs rather than getting caught up in the noise of political theater.
