Former senior adviser to David Cameron Steve Hilton has told the BBC his bid to be California's next governor is a campaign to 'save' the state from what he describes as overbearing bureaucracy and economic decline. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.

In his first UK interview since advancing to November's election, he said his candidacy was rooted in the state's 'rebel spirit'. Hilton, who moved to California in 2012, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the state's tradition of innovation and economic dynamism had been undermined by 16 years of Democratic control.

He is running as a Republican in the overwhelmingly liberal state on a 'common sense' platform rather than party ideology. Hilton has presented himself as a political outsider, casting his campaign as a push to restore affordability and opportunity in what he described as 'the most incredible place in the world'.

'It's not ideological,' he said. 'It is just common sense.' His platform focuses on tax cuts, deregulation and reducing what he called 'bloat and waste' in state government. He pledged a tax-free threshold on the first $100,000 (£74,485) of income, sharply lower energy prices and measures to reduce housing costs.

Hilton had an unusual political journey, from architect of the UK Conservative Party's 'Big Society' agenda under Cameron to an early supporter of Trump in 2015. Asked where he now sits between Cameron-era conservatism and Trump-era populism, Hilton rejected the framing, arguing both were political movements that did not define him 'personally'.

Hilton blamed Democratic policies for high living costs, business departures, homelessness and crime in California. 'The record is a disaster,' he said, citing the highest poverty rate, unemployment and cost of living in the US.

One political challenge remains Hilton's alignment with Trump, whose approval ratings are low in California. The president has endorsed him, saying Hilton would work with his administration. Hilton insisted it was an 'asset for Californians', arguing co-operation on energy could help deliver policy changes.

Immigration policy also featured prominently. Hilton, the son of Hungarian immigrants, described himself as a candidate for the 'legal immigrant community', but opposed California's 'sanctuary state' policies. As governor, he said he would not obstruct federal immigration authorities, favouring a return to a more co-operative approach seen during the Obama administration.

His Democrat opponent Xavier Becerra, a former cabinet secretary under Biden, has framed himself as a candidate fighting for the California dream. Jonathan Underland, a spokesperson for the Becerra campaign, told the BBC: 'Californians didn't build the greatest state in the nation to hand it over to a Trump errand boy.'

Hilton's path to the final stage of the race has surprised many observers. He advanced through a crowded primary field in part because of a split Democratic vote, and he acknowledged the scale of the challenge ahead in a heavily Democratic state.