CALIFORNIA Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton speaks during an election night event on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Garden Grove, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Steve Hilton didn’t have a good night on Tuesday. But presumably, he had a good night’s sleep in a good hotel. in Garden Grove.

Hilton, the Republican nominee for governor, was the headliner as the California Republican Party held its “victory” party at the Hyatt Regency at Chapman Avenue and Harbor Boulevard.

And as most people – and probably even himself – expected, there wasn’t much to celebrate.

The networks called the race for Democratic nominee Xavier Becerra shortly after the polls closed on Tuesday at 8 p.m. He, of course, conceded.

“Maybe this isn’t the best year to be running for office as a Republican,” he said, according to LAist.com, in a pretty good example of understatement.

By noon the next day, the California Secretary of State’s office calculated his vote share at 36 percent. “We’ll plan on bringing the fight more intensely than ever in 2028,” said Hilton.

Harbinger’s shape of big things to come

Garden Grove isn’t exactly Detroit, but it does have an automobile factory and a bright-looking future.
Harbinger, located on Knott Street (just north of the Garden Grove Freeway) has raised $240 million to expand its lineup beyond electric trucks and vans into energy and defense contracting.

The firm got good news in September when FedEx ordered 2,000 all-electric trucks for a total price of over $300 million. Investors feel that there’s a growing demand for energy storage and the power appetite for the booming AI market.