Hilton's "Just Try It, California" ad draws millions of views and cross-party criticism

Right · 1Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate for California governor, launched "Just Try It, California" on Thursday 1 October. It is the first spot in a six-figure television and digital campaign aimed at Gen Z and millennial voters, according to his campaign's news release. 1 Mixed · 2The ad shows two young women on a bed beneath a Pride flag. One hesitates ("What if my dad finds out?") and the other reassures her ("Just try it... Close your eyes, and I'll do all the work"). The scene ends with a ballot being marked for Hilton. The New York Post says the women are AI-generated and that one wears a "RESIST" shirt. The Los Angeles Times adds that the ad ends with the line "Now lick it", referring to the mail ballot envelope. 1 2 Mixed · 2It came a day after Hilton's debate with Democrat Xavier Becerra. Hilton is trailing: the New York Post cites polls showing him about 18 points behind, and the Los Angeles Times cites a UC Berkeley/Los Angeles Times poll with Becerra ahead 58% to 33%. 1 2

Mixed · 2Hilton said people "do not need permission from a party to want a state they can afford" and that voters need not become Republicans to want a different result after 16 years of the same government. He later called the ad "a provocative and humorous way of making a point". He said it does not conflict with his positions on gender-affirming care and youth sports, which he said apply only to people who are not adults. 1 2 Left · 1The Los Angeles Times reports the ad had been viewed by nearly 5 million people by Saturday afternoon. It says it also drew condemnation from Republicans. Michael Gates, the Republican candidate for attorney general, "emphatically denounce[d] the use of young women as a political tool". Sonja Shaw, a candidate for state superintendent of schools, called it "creepy, weird, disturbing garbage" and criticised the state party for promoting it. Both are on Hilton's GOP "Golden Ticket" slate. 2 Left · 1Democrats criticised it too. Rep. Robert Garcia, an openly gay member of Congress, called it "a bizarre and desperate ad" and said Hilton was "more interested in AI slop than actually talking about issues Californians care about". Rusty Hicks, the state Democratic Party chairman, also condemned it. A Becerra spokesman said "MAGA is melting down" over the ad. 2

Left · 1Some conservatives defended or tolerated it. Pastor Jack Hibbs called the ad "grotesque" but said he still backs Hilton over Becerra. Former state GOP chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson said it was not aimed at her but she understood the effort to reach new voters. Fred Karger, the first openly gay person to run for president, called it shrewd yet hypocritical and said the target audience has about a 1% chance of voting for Hilton. 2 Right · 1The New York Post describes mixed reactions on social media. Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt called it "brilliant", while other users said it could alienate Republican voters or looked like a pro-LGBT ad. The paper says Hilton may need attention, given California's heavily Democratic electorate and his deficit. 1 Left · 1Hilton is scheduled to speak on Monday to a chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans, an LGBTQ group, at a brewery in Palm Desert. 2