LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Leading in some polls in the wide-open California Governor’s race as the June primary creeps closer is Republican and former Fox News host Steve Hilton.

Hilton, a small business owner, was born in the UK, where he served as director of strategy for former Prime Minister David Cameron, and then moved to California in 2012.

Eyewitness News caught up with Hilton near the Figueroa corridor, a notorious hub for human trafficking.

“If you look at the foster care system in particular, it’s been terribly badly mismanaged. It’s not about the money. It’s about making sure that actually, we have proper audits of the homes kids are going to,” Hilton said. “If we can’t even stomp out a hundred or so girls being sold for sex every night on a street in Los Angeles, what are we even doing here?”

Hilton blames climate change policies for the housing and affordability crisis in California, saying the policies have made it more costly to build. He added that he doesn’t believe climate change played a role in last year’s destructive and deadly wildfires.

“It’s a complete failure of Democrat policies, and to blame it all on climate change is an insult to everybody who lost their home,” Hilton said.

Eyewitness News Political Reporter Josh Haskell asked Hilton if he supports President Donald Trump’s tactics for immigration enforcement.

“Everybody supports — I can’t imagine a single person who doesn’t support what’s been done to close our southern border and stop this absolutely outrageous undermining of the law we saw in the Biden years. I’m a legal immigrant, and I’ve said many times, I’m the candidate of the legal immigrant community for the legal immigrant community,” Hilton said.

When it comes to homelessness, Hilton blames Sacramento for not funding Prop 36 after it was passed, which increases punishment for people convicted of certain drug or theft crimes.

Hilton is running neck-and-neck with another Republican in the race, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

“If we end up with two Democrats in the top two system, that is a disaster for California. That means there’s no chance for change,” Hilton said. “We’re going to keep going with this one-party rule that’s been such a failure, that’s hurt so many people.”

The primary election is on June 2. If a candidate doesn’t receive more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers, regardless of political party, will move on to the November election.

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