Steve Hilton tops instant poll after first California governor debate

Steve Hilton made the best impression on audiences during California’s first gubernatorial debate Tuesday, according to an instant audience poll conducted by Fox Local.

Some viewers were shocked by Hilton’s win, despite the former Fox News having the strongest performance on the night.

“I won the debate because I told the truth about the total disaster of 16 years of Democrat one party rule, the fraud, the waste, the corruption, and the cost of living that sky hide for regular working Californians,” he told The California Post when asked about the debate.

Hilton — the only Republican in the debate of seven — saw 53% of respondents answer the question, “Which candidate made the best impression in the first half of the debate?”

The remainder was split between the remaining Democrats in the debate, with Matt Mahan — the newest entry into the race — coming in second at 17 percent.

“What was interesting to me in the debate last night was all the Democrats sounded the same,” Hilton said. “They sounded the same as each other and it all sounded the same as what we’ve got now.”

The former Fox News host said Californias had have “enough of it.”

“We’ve had enough of it, and that’s why I’m encouraged by this debate by the fact that we are leading on fundraising with a huge number of small donors that we’re leading in many of the poles and I expect that lead to grow, he said.

Hilton’s campaign has also raised the most money of any candidate from any party, excluding self-funded Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer, with nearly $6 million in funds from 30,000 individual contributions.

“Theres momentum to grow after this debate,” he said. “That is great news for everyone in California.”

“Unlike my Democratic friends here, I’ve never run for office before,” the former Fox News host said. “All my life, I’ve had to focus on results: starting and running businesses, working inside government, fighting bureaucracy, trying to make change happen.”

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Hilton also took a jab at the current governor over what he said is Newsom’s failed leadership, adding that taxes in the Golden State were too high.

“When I get to Sacramento, I will take a sledgehammer to our bloated, bureaucratic nanny state, and I will enjoy doing it,” he said in the debate.

Former Rep. Katie Porter was absent from the debate due to scheduling conflicts, according to debate organizers.