Pacific Palisades Republican Club

January – June 2026
Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 10:00 AM Casual Coffee Meet-Up at the Palisades Starbucks Join us for our morning gathering at 514 Palisades Drive. Get your coffee and the goodies, and enjoy time with like-minded members. Bring a friend! View on Google Maps
Prior Event Sunday, April 19, 2026: Governor Candidate Steve Hilton Spoke to Palisadians This article is reprinted with permission from Circling the News. Posted on April 27, 2026, by Sue Pascoe Steve Hilton spoke to the Palisades Republican Club. Walking into the Elks Club on Pico in Santa Monica where the Palisades Republican Club was hosting gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, a young woman in her 20s was laying on the sidewalk. She was breathing and based on this editor’s experience, if one calls 911 and the unit arrives, they wake the person up and ask if they want help or transport. If they refuse, nothing is done and the paramedics leave. She’s one of an estimated 72,000 in L.A. County lying on sidewalks. Outside the Elks Club in Santa Monica where candidates spoke, a woman lay on the sidewalk. Inside, the candidates, which included Gloria Romero, Michael Gates, Herb Morgan and Steve Hilton spoke about the need for change. Steve Hilton said he’s running for governor to make California Golden again. His parents fled communism in Hungary to start a new life in England. “They had nothing good to say about communism,” he said. What he didn’t say was when he was young, his mother worked to support him and needed state benefits, that he came from poverty. He was given a bursary – monetary award to Christ’s Hospital School in Horsham before attending New College at the University of Oxford. He moved to California in 2012 to Silicon Valley and became a U.S. resident in 2021. Hilton spoke briefly about the Swalwell scandal. Swalwell was the leading Democratic candidate for governor. He suspended his campaign on Sunday, April 12 after sexual assault allegations were made. He also resigned his seat in Congress the next day. “The Democratic party all knew what Swalwell was about,” Hilton said, and added they “didn’t care about the people, but about keeping power.” He explained four reasons he will become governor. “This state has had it up to here,” he said, “I hear over and over from people that they’re done with 16 years of one-party rule. They say, we’re done.” He feels a majority of Californians want change. Hilton thinks there will be high voter turnout because of two ballot initiatives this November. The first is a “Save Proposition 13,” through the Howard Jarvitz Taxpayers Association and the second is a vote on whether voter ID should be required. He feels the Democratic candidates who are running, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer and Xavier Beccera “have nothing new to offer.” And his last point was that California has been exposed of its fraud. “We are so angry about it and rightfully so,” he said. He promises to make California affordable again by cutting the gas tax, so that residents can pay $3 a gallon: cut electric bills in half: the first $100,000 that anyone earns will be tax free: stop forcing apartment buildings on cities, who have their own codes, to save single family homes. “All we need is good government,” he said. Also speaking were Morgan, who is running for State Controller, who said that the amount of money lost to fraud in the last four years could total $250 billion and that audits and accountability were needed in California. “The Republican party is the party of compassion, we don’t want to discontinue social programs, we just want to stop the fraud.” He was the first political candidate in U.S. history to publish every campaign financial transaction on public blockchain – with daily verified updates. Each contribution and expense is visible to the public. click here. Michael Gates is running for attorney general against incumbent Rob Bonta. Gates took the dais next and said, “We can turn things around. Public safety comes first.” He said that the current California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed 54 lawsuits against the Trump administration, but that it was time to tackle the fraud in this state. He said that many voters don’t think their vote will count, but he promised this year would be different. “We want to make sure this is the best election ever,” Gates said. “Shirley Weber (Ca. Secretary of State) cleaned 3 million names off the voter’s roll.” He said that with Watson vs. Republican National Committee [heard on March 23] the Supreme Court will decide if it is “election day” or “election days.” [This is regarding late mail-in ballots.] “This election will be different,” said Gates, who served as the City Attorney of Huntington Beach for 10 years. In 2025, Gates was appointed Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, but his family is in Huntington Beach and he has returned home to run. Gloria Romero is running for Lieutenant Governor. Romero followed and said, “I used to be a Democrat,” and joked “I’m the first fully transitioned former assemblymember leader.” She was elected to the State Senate in 2001 and became the first woman to serve as Senate Majority Leader in California history. Prior to the senate, she served as majority whip in the Assembly. She joked that she would be perfect in Sacramento in this role because “I know where all the bodies are and I know how to move a nomination forward,” which is one of the key roles of the Lieutenant Governor. She explained her party switch because she felt that the Democratic party had abandoned working class families and parental rights. “I’m a mother, not a birthing person,” she said. Romero was chair of the Senate Education Commission and said, “I called out UCLA after October 8 to end antisemitism.” Audience members were allowed to ask questions of the four candidates: Q. As governor, how can you limit a sanctuary state. A. “Legal immigrant is the key,” said Hilton an immigrant. “The clue is in the name illegal immigrant. “We will work with the federal government.” Sanctuary laws are illegal. We will seek for peaceful enforcement of all laws.” Q. How will you reform pensions and health benefits and the retirement system? A. “Government unions totally control the political system, more than any other state,” Morgan said, and noted that the current budget is unsustainable. “We need reform otherwise California will go bankrupt.” A man went to the microphone and started a diatribe against Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Interestingly, the man was not removed from the venue, but instead was asked, “Do you have a question?” Whether from shock or disbelief, the man paused and then said Q. Affordability? A. Something needs to change, because “it’s more expensive in California than in other state,” Hilton said. “The average California resident pays more than $35,000 than a resident in any other state. Q. Is there a contact we can go to now, if we are experiencing fraud? A. Gates said, “Overwhelm the Attorney General Rob Bonta, who has just now announced an investigation into fraud. He’s waited more than a year to investigate. Residents need to make noise and complain.” Q. What’s the best way to get the message out to independents and Democrats? A. Donate money towards advertising. “Money is the mother’s milk to advertising, “ Romero said. “To win the election we have to meet across the aisle.” Q. What is your plan for the homeless? A. Hilton said, “two things, enforce the law and keep people in services, it cannot be a choice.” He said the law used to be enforced in California, where addicts on the street were given the choice of jail or rehab. The mentally ill need to be taken care of, but that money is bound up with the Federal government. In the 1960s under President John F. Kennedy, large mental institutions were closed (IMD – institution for Mental Disease) and only those that had 16 beds or less were given federal dollars. Other states have applied for an IMD waiver and received it, so that money can go to help those that need it. Hilton proposes doing the same in California. As he left for another engagment, Hilton said, “We can’t do this for you. We need to do it with you. I’m going in there as an outsider because we need to shake things up.”

Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 10:00 AM

Casual Coffee Meet-Up at the Palisades Starbucks

Join us for our morning gathering at 514 Palisades Drive.

Get your coffee and the goodies, and enjoy time with like-minded members.

Bring a friend!

View on Google Maps

Prior Event Sunday, April 19, 2026: Governor Candidate Steve Hilton Spoke to Palisadians

This article is reprinted with permission from Circling the News.

Posted on April 27, 2026, by Sue Pascoe

Steve Hilton spoke to the Palisades Republican Club.

Walking into the Elks Club on Pico in Santa Monica where the Palisades Republican Club was hosting gubernatorial
candidate Steve Hilton, a young woman in her 20s was laying on the sidewalk.

She was breathing and based on this editor’s experience, if one calls 911 and the unit arrives, they wake the person up and ask if they want help or transport. If they refuse, nothing is done and the paramedics leave. She’s one of an estimated 72,000 in L.A. County lying on sidewalks.

Outside the Elks Club in Santa Monica where candidates spoke, a woman lay on the sidewalk.
Inside, the candidates, which included Gloria Romero, Michael Gates, Herb Morgan and Steve Hilton spoke about the need for change.

Steve Hilton said he’s running for governor to make California Golden again. His parents fled communism in Hungary to start a new life in England. “They had nothing good to say about communism,” he said.

What he didn’t say was when he was young, his mother worked to support him and needed state benefits, that he came from poverty. He was given a bursary – monetary award to Christ’s Hospital School in Horsham before attending New
College at the University of Oxford.

He moved to California in 2012 to Silicon Valley and became a U.S. resident in 2021.

Hilton spoke briefly about the Swalwell scandal. Swalwell was the leading Democratic candidate for governor. He suspended his campaign on Sunday, April 12 after sexual assault allegations were made. He also resigned his seat in Congress the next day.

“The Democratic party all knew what Swalwell was about,” Hilton said, and added they “didn’t care about the people, but about keeping power.”

He explained four reasons he will become governor. “This state has had it up to here,” he said, “I hear over and over from people that they’re done with 16 years of one-party rule. They say, we’re done.” He feels a majority of Californians want change.

Hilton thinks there will be high voter turnout because of two ballot initiatives this November. The first is a “Save Proposition 13,” through the Howard Jarvitz Taxpayers Association and the second is a vote on whether voter ID should be required.
He feels the Democratic candidates who are running, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer and Xavier Beccera “have nothing new to offer.”

And his last point was that California has been exposed of its fraud. “We are so angry about it and rightfully so,” he said.
He promises to make California affordable again by cutting the gas tax, so that residents can pay $3 a gallon: cut electric bills in half: the first $100,000 that anyone earns will be tax free: stop forcing apartment buildings on cities, who have their own codes, to save single family homes. “All we need is good government,” he said.

Also speaking were Morgan, who is running for State Controller, who said that the amount of money lost to fraud in the last four years could total $250 billion and that audits and accountability were needed in California. “The Republican party is the party of compassion, we don’t want to discontinue social programs, we just want to stop the fraud.”

He was the first political candidate in U.S. history to publish every campaign financial transaction on public blockchain – with daily verified updates. Each contribution and expense is visible to the public. click here.

Michael Gates is running for attorney general against incumbent Rob Bonta.

Gates took the dais next and said, “We can turn things around. Public safety comes first.” He said that the current California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed 54 lawsuits against the Trump administration, but that it was time to tackle the fraud in this state.

He said that many voters don’t think their vote will count, but he promised this year would be different. “We want to make sure this is the best election ever,” Gates said. “Shirley Weber (Ca. Secretary of State) cleaned 3 million names off the voter’s roll.”

He said that with Watson vs. Republican National Committee [heard on March 23] the Supreme Court will decide if it is “election day” or “election days.” [This is regarding late mail-in ballots.] “This election will be different,” said Gates, who served as the City Attorney of Huntington Beach for 10 years.

In 2025, Gates was appointed Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, but his family is in Huntington Beach and he has returned home to run.

Gloria Romero is running for Lieutenant Governor.

Romero followed and said, “I used to be a Democrat,” and joked “I’m the first fully transitioned former assemblymember leader.” She was elected to the State Senate in 2001 and became the first woman to serve as Senate Majority Leader in

California history. Prior to the senate, she served as majority whip in the Assembly. She joked that she would be perfect in Sacramento in this role because “I know where all the bodies are and I know how to move a nomination forward,” which is one of the key roles of the Lieutenant Governor.

She explained her party switch because she felt that the Democratic party had abandoned working class families and parental rights. “I’m a mother, not a birthing person,” she said. Romero was chair of the Senate Education Commission and said, “I called out UCLA after October 8 to end antisemitism.”

Audience members were allowed to ask questions of the four candidates:

Q. As governor, how can you limit a sanctuary state.

A. “Legal immigrant is the key,” said Hilton an immigrant. “The clue is in the name illegal immigrant. “We will work with the federal government.” Sanctuary laws are illegal. We will seek for peaceful enforcement of all laws.”

Q. How will you reform pensions and health benefits and the retirement system?

A. “Government unions totally control the political system, more than any other state,” Morgan said, and noted that the current budget is unsustainable. “We need reform otherwise California will go bankrupt.”

A man went to the microphone and started a diatribe against Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Interestingly, the man was not removed from the venue, but instead was asked, “Do you have a question?”

Whether from shock or disbelief, the man paused and then said Q. Affordability?

A. Something needs to change, because “it’s more expensive in California than in other state,” Hilton said. “The average California resident pays more than $35,000 than a resident in any other state.

Q. Is there a contact we can go to now, if we are experiencing fraud?

A. Gates said, “Overwhelm the Attorney General Rob Bonta, who has just now announced an investigation into fraud. He’s waited more than a year to investigate. Residents need to make noise and complain.”

Q. What’s the best way to get the message out to independents and Democrats?

A. Donate money towards advertising. “Money is the mother’s milk to advertising, “ Romero said. “To win the election we have to meet across the aisle.”

Q. What is your plan for the homeless?

A. Hilton said, “two things, enforce the law and keep people in services, it cannot be a choice.” He said the law used to be enforced in California, where addicts on the street were given the choice of jail or rehab.

The mentally ill need to be taken care of, but that money is bound up with the Federal government. In the 1960s under President John F. Kennedy, large mental institutions were closed (IMD – institution for Mental Disease) and only those that had 16 beds or less were given federal dollars. Other states have applied for an IMD waiver and received it, so that money can go to help those that need it. Hilton proposes doing the same in California.

As he left for another engagment, Hilton said, “We can’t do this for you. We need to do it with you. I’m going in there as an outsider because we need to shake things up.”

Pacific Palisades Republican Club – Events