Why Are Republicans Criticizing Steve Hilton's Campaign Ad?

Two young women with brightly colored hair sit on a bed in front of a pride flag, the lighting low. One says, "I can't believe I'm doing this." The other strokes her hair and coaxes, "Don't be nervous, it's not that bad," before guiding her to fill out a ballot for Steve Hilton and commanding her to "lick it," according to The Guardian.

The video, titled "Just Try It, California," has drawn criticism from inside Hilton's own party, with Republican officials calling it "creepy" as the candidate fights to close a polling gap against Democrat Xavier Becerra in the race for California governor, the Guardian reported.

What happens in the "Just Try It" ad?

The ad released last week uses sexual innuendo throughout, pairing the bedroom setting and dialogue with an instruction to vote for Hilton, according to the Guardian's description of the footage. The pride flag backdrop and the exchange between the two women have become the focus of the backlash, with critics arguing the imagery and language cross a line for a statewide campaign.

Which Republicans have condemned the ad, and what did they say?

Sonja Shaw, the Republican nominee for California superintendent of public instruction, called the ad "creepy, weird, disturbing garbage" in a social media post cited by the Guardian. "This is a clear example of exactly why good people are walking away from the Republican party," Shaw wrote. "As a mother and someone who has fought to protect the innocence of children, this crosses a line. We have lost our way."

Michael Gates, the Republican nominee for California attorney general, also criticized the spot, saying he "emphatically [denounces] the use of young women as a political tool," according to the Guardian.

How is Hilton positioned in the governor's race?

Hilton, a British former political adviser to UK prime minister David Cameron and a former Fox News host, is running against Xavier Becerra, the former U.S. health secretary, in a state the Guardian describes as "deep blue." Hilton is trailing in the polls with just a few weeks left before the November midterm elections, the Guardian reported, making his bid for governor a longshot even before the ad controversy.

Why does this matter for California's midterm election?

The internal party criticism adds pressure to a campaign already working from behind in a state where Republicans have struggled to win statewide office. Shaw and Gates are both running on the same November ballot as Hilton, meaning their public rebuke of his advertising strategy plays out within the same Republican slate voters will see at the polls. The Guardian's reporting does not include a response from Hilton's campaign to the criticism from Shaw and Gates.

The dispute underscores a broader tension Hilton has faced throughout the race, running as a British-born outsider seeking to rebuild a Republican coalition in a state where the party has not won a governor's race in years. Whether the ad controversy affects turnout or fundraising in the campaign's final weeks remains to be seen, as the Guardian's coverage focuses on the reaction rather than any measurable shift in the race.

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