Republican candidate for California governor Steve Hilton is pinning the blame for Hollywood’s migration out of California squarely on the state’s Democratic leadership, arguing that the policies coming out of Sacramento have made it increasingly untenable for film and television production to remain in the entertainment capital of the world.
According to Breitbart, Hilton made the remarks during a recent appearance, characterizing the steady stream of productions leaving California for Georgia, Texas, and other states as a self-inflicted wound that Democrats have no one to blame for but themselves.
“They’ve got nobody to blame but themselves,” Hilton said, in comments reported by Breitbart.
A Growing Trend
The migration of film and television production away from California has been well-documented for years, with studios increasingly opting to shoot in states that offer more generous tax incentives and lower operating costs. Georgia has become a particular favorite, in part due to its robust film tax credit program, while Texas and other states have worked to attract major productions with their own incentive packages.
California has attempted to stem the tide with its own expanded tax credit program, but critics argue the state’s high cost of living, high taxes, and regulatory burden continue to make it difficult for the industry to justify staying. Hollywood’s exodus has been accelerated in recent years by broader upheaval in the entertainment industry, including the rise of streaming, production slowdowns, and changing consumer habits.
Hilton’s Argument
Hilton, a former Fox News host and one-time adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron, has made California’s economic climate a central plank of his campaign. His argument is that Democratic policies have created an uncompetitive environment not just for Hollywood but for businesses of all kinds across the state.
The candidate’s framing is likely to resonate with voters who feel the state has become too expensive and too regulated, though it will face pushback from Democrats who point to California’s position as one of the world’s largest economies and a leader in technology, agriculture, and entertainment.
For Hilton, Hollywood’s departures serve as a visible, culturally potent example of what he describes as the consequences of one-party rule in Sacramento. The entertainment industry occupies a unique place in the California identity, and the sight of productions shifting to other states carries symbolic weight beyond the raw economic numbers.
Democrats Push Back
Democrats have argued that the state’s film tax credit program has helped keep production in California and that the broader challenges facing Hollywood are global and technological in nature, not simply the result of state policy. They also note that California remains the heart of the entertainment industry’s creative and corporate hubs, even as individual productions shoot elsewhere.
The debate over Hollywood’s future is playing out against a backdrop of a competitive gubernatorial race in which Republicans are looking to make inroads in a state that has not elected a GOP governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger. Hilton is betting that frustration over affordability, homelessness, and the state’s business climate can translate into electoral success.
Whether voters see Hollywood’s migration as a symptom of Democratic governance or as a more complicated industry shift remains an open question — but Hilton is clearly counting on the former.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/10/02/republican-steve-hilton-blames-democrats-for-hollywood-exodus-from-california/