New Zealand‘s newly elected government has vowed to abolish the country’s anti-smoking law, enacted in 2022, which aimed to curb smoking-related fatalities. The law increased the smoking age, effectively preventing individuals born after January 2009 from purchasing cigarettes at all. It also decreased the legal nicotine content in tobacco products and limited their retail availability, slashing the number of stores legally allowed to sell cigarettes from 6,000 to 600.
Repealing elements of this, including the reduction in retail outlets and the phasing out of smoking for future generations, is a part of the new government’s coalition agreement. This maneuver is anticipated to generate significant revenue through tobacco sales to fund coalition-proposed tax cuts.
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Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced that the changes will be rescinded before March 2024, given the fiscal ramifications that the smoke-free legislation posed on government revenues.
The new government also maintains that reversing these restrictions will help avert a clandestine tobacco market and reduce criminal activity that could target tobacco shops.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced that Jared Kushner would receive an “envoy of peace” designation, alongside Steve Witkoff.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, and Steve Witkoff.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, February 19, 2026, during the inaugural Board of Peace meeting.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We’re making Jared an envoy also, envoy of peace. They’re both envoys of peace.” – Donald Trump
🎯IMPACT: Kushner’s new designation formalizes his ongoing role in international diplomacy, including his work on the Abraham Accords.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump on Thursday announced that his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, would receive an “envoy of peace” designation, placing him on par with Steve Witkoff, with whom he has worked closely in international diplomacy on behalf of the White House. “We’re making Jared an envoy also, envoy of peace. They’re both envoys of peace,” President Trump said while addressing the inaugural Board of Peace meeting, referring to Kushner and Witkoff.
🇺🇸 President Trump is going to give Jared Kushner the position of Envoy of Peace.
“A little bit later on, we brought Jared in. Jared was responsible for the Abraham Accords, which is incredible.
Nobody else could have done that. Very smart guy. And, we’re making Jared an envoy… pic.twitter.com/RgSDVHnyZ2
— The threat of missiles and drones (@StatWatch25) February 19, 2026
Kushner’s elevation appears unlikely to change the dynamics of international diplomacy, as he has already worked closely with Witkoff, including on Middle Eastern peace agreements, though the President did credit Kushner with being integral to the Abraham Accords and other key negotiations. Meanwhile, Witkoff earned acclaim as the architect of a short-term initial ceasefire between Israel and Hamas during the presidential transition.
Both men were in Geneva, Switzerland, earlier this week for indirect talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the cessation of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. While Iran’s foreign minister has claimed a preliminary understanding was reached, Kushner and Witkoff have declined to say as much.
Meanwhile, during his speech at the Board of Peace, President Trump continued to turn up the pressure on the Iranian regime, giving it ten days to reach a deal with the United States. In recent days, the U.S. military has conducted a buildup in the Middle East not seen since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, providing the Trump administration with a host of strike options should the talks fail.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump warned that the U.S. could strike Iran if a nuclear deal is not reached within the next ten days.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, world leaders attending the Board of Peace meeting, and Iranian officials involved in nuclear negotiations.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: February 19, 2026, during the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington, DC.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We may have to take it a step further, or we may not. Maybe we’re going to make a deal. You’re going to be finding out over the next probably ten days.” — President Donald Trump
🎯IMPACT: The U.S. military has mobilized assets in the Middle East, as nuclear negotiations with Iran remain ongoing.
IN FULL
U.S. President Donald J. Trump issued a deadline on Thursday for Iranian government negotiators to reach an agreement with his administration to dismantle the Islamic Republic’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Speaking at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington, D.C., President Trump gave the Iranian regime ten days to reach a deal as the U.S. military continues its build-up around the Middle East, with the airpower presence alone rivaling that on the eve of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.
“We may have to take it a step further, or we may not. Maybe we’re going to make a deal. You’re going to be finding out over the next probably ten days,” Trump said.
Trump on Iran: “So now we may have to take it a step further, or we may not. Maybe we’re going to make a deal… you’re going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days.” @realDonaldTrump@Iranpic.twitter.com/gaVJe57rn4
Notably, the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group left the Caribbean earlier in February for redeployment in the eastern Mediterranean and is expected to arrive within days. The Ford‘s arrival will bring the U.S. aircraft carrier presence near Iran to a total of two, while the U.S. Air Force has moved a significant number of assets into the region in recent days.
While Iranian officials claim they’ve reached a preliminary understanding with the United States, the Trump administration appears to be less confident in the negotiations. Held in Geneva, Switzerland, the second round of indirect negotiations saw both delegations depart following the talks, although Iranian negotiators reportedly expressed a willingness to remain in Switzerland for extended periods if necessary to finalize a deal.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced that the U.S. tradedeficit has decreased by 78 percent due to tariffs.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, the United States Supreme Court, and the House of Representatives.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Trump posted the announcement on Truth Social on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The United States trade deficit has been reduced by 78 percent because of the tariffs being charged to other companies and countries. It will go into positive territory during this year, for the first time in many decades. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” — Donald Trump
🎯IMPACT: Trump’s announcement on the significant drop in the trade deficit comes amid an anti-tariff revolt in Congress and a pending Supreme Court ruling on the constitutionality of his imposition of tariffs.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump revealed late Wednesday that his tariff policies have reduced the United States trade deficit by 78 percent, and that the deficit is expected to turn into a positive balance at some point this year. Should the trade deficit turn positive, it would be the first time the United States has posted a trade surplus in decades.
“The United States trade deficit has been reduced by 78 percent because of the tariffs being charged to other companies and countries. It will go into positive territory during this year, for the first time in many decades. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Trump’s tariff policies have been thrust back into the news in recent days, with the House of Representatives voting late last week—in a revolt against the lower chamber’s Republican leadership—to undo certain tariffs on Canada. Notably, six Republican lawmakers joined Democrats in supporting the resolution.
Even more important is a looming United States Supreme Court decision that could lift a large swath of tariffs imposed by the President. The high court could rule as early as Friday on whether Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs on dozens of countries is unlawful. The National Pulse previously reported that an adverse ruling for the Trump administration could result in the federal government owing businesses upwards of $168 billion.
Data released last December showed the trade deficit fell sharply just months prior, declining 10.9 percent to $52.8 billion. Data from October 2025 shows the U.S. trade deficit fell to $29.4 billion, marking a 39 percent decline and the lowest level since 2009.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The British government will delay legislation on transferring the Chagos Islands, which host a strategic British-American military base, to China-allied Mauritius after criticism from President Donald J. Trump.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the Iranian regime.
📍WHEN & WHERE: February 2026, concerning the British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Islands), Mauritius, and Iran.
💬KEY QUOTE: “DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!” – Donald Trump
🎯IMPACT: The British government is reconsidering the transfer, which would have seen Britain cede sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while paying large sums of money to continue leasing Diego Garcia, which hosts the military base.
IN FULL
The British government has delayed legislation to transfer sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Islands) to China-allied Mauritius after President Donald J. Trump blasted the agreement. Chagos includes Diego Garcia, which hosts a strategic British-American military base, and while the British government has committed to continue leasing the island from Mauritius, Trump believes the loss of full British sovereignty will undermine the base.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s far-left government will now take a “pause for thought” on the bill implementing the transfer. However, Starmer is also reportedly refusing to guarantee that Britain will authorize the use of Diego Garcia for possible U.S. strikes on Iran.
Trump called the bizarre deal, which would see Britain surrender the islands and pay for the privilege of doing so in exchange for nothing, an “act of GREAT STUPIDITY” and “weakness,” urging Starmer to abandon it.
“We will always be ready, willing, and able to fight for the U.K., but they have to remain strong in the face of Wokeism, and other problems put before them. DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday, directly contradicting a U.S. State Department press release claiming the U.S. supported the deal on Tuesday.
The British government’s motivations for paying to give away sovereign territory in the Indian Ocean are unclear. Starmer and his officials have cited an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling in favor of Mauritius. However, the ruling was non-binding, and the court has no power to issue a binding ruling, still less enforce one. Notably, Starmer, his negotiator Attorney General Richard Hermer, and Mauritius negotiator Philippe Sands are all former colleagues or personal friends, with an “anti-imperial” ideological bent. Hermer, in particular, has denounced the British Empire, of which Chagos is a remnant, as “racist” and supported paying reparations to foreign governments.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) is formally requesting assistance from President Donald J. Trump in addressing the ongoing environmental crisis in the Potomac River caused by a collapsed sewer pipe running between Maryland and Virginia.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Mayor Muriel Bowser, President Donald J. Trump, and D.C. Water—the public utility overseeing the Potomac Interceptor pipe.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Bowser’s request was made on February 18, 2026.
🎯IMPACT: The Potomac Interceptor pipe, which ruptured on January 19, released an estimated 250 million gallons of raw, untreated wastewater into the river, with D.C. Water estimating repairs could take 10 months.
IN FULL
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) is formally requesting assistance from President Donald J. Trump in addressing the ongoing environmental crisis in the Potomac River caused by a collapsed sewer pipe running between Maryland and Virginia. The Potomac Interceptor pipe, which ruptured on January 19 near Cabin John, Maryland, about seven miles north of Georgetown, released an estimated 250 million gallons of raw, untreated waste water into the river—which flows through the heart of the nation’s capital—before the flow was diverted into the historic Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (C&O Canal).
On Wednesday evening, Mayor Bowser sent a letter requesting aid to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the latter still being able to disperse emergency and provide regional assistance—under the orders of President Trump—despite being impacted by the ongoing partial government shutdown initiated by Senate Democrats. In the letter, the D.C. Mayor requests that President Trump formally declare a federal emergency so that FEMA can assist with repairs to the sewer pipe and help monitor—along with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—the Potomac River’s water quality. Concerningly, spot tests just downstream of the spill have shown E. coli levels near the site to be significantly higher than the EPA limits for swimming. Officials have also detected bacteria linked to staph infections and MRSA.
The National Pulse reported earlier this week that President Trump directed FEMA to prepare a response to the crisis and help coordinate communication between federal and state agencies—including officials in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C However, without a formal request by state and local officials, the scope of FEMA‘s involvement remained limited.
“There is a massive Ecological Disaster unfolding in the Potomac River as a result of the Gross Mismanagement of Local Democrat Leaders, particularly, Governor Wes Moore, of Maryland. A sewer line breach in Maryland has caused millions of gallons of raw sewage to be dumped directly into the Potomac River, a result of incompetent Local and State Management of Essential Waste Management Systems,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, criticizing the local response late Monday afternoon.
D.C. Water, the public utility that manages the Potomac Interceptor pipe, has stated it could take up to 10 months to repair the rupture. City officials have pointed to a number of large underwater boulders that fell into the breach as the main obstacle preventing expedited patching of the sewer line.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has clarified that most talk shows, such as The View and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, no longer qualify for regulatory exemptions allowing them to feature political candidates without meeting equal time requirements.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: FCC Chair Brendan Carr, various network talk shows, and political candidates, including Texas state Representative James Talarico (D).
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced during an FCC meeting on Wednesday, February 19, 2026.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Congress passed the equal time provision for a very specific reason. They did not want the media leads in Hollywood and in New York to put their thumbs on the scale and pick their winners and losers in primaries and general elections. That’s the point.” – Brendan Carr
🎯IMPACT: Television networks can apply for exemptions from the Equal Time Rule, but according to Chairman Carr, “The ones we have seen have yet to establish that they qualify for the bona fide news exception.”
IN FULL
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) held an open meeting on Wednesday, where the agency determined that daytime and late-night talk shows will no longer qualify for the news exemption from the Equal Time Rule (Section 315 of the Communications Act of 1934) granted to most news programming. Previously, talk shows like The View and Jimmy Kimmel Live! could host political candidates for public office without having to give equal time to the other candidates in the race.
“The general rule is equal time applies,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr explained regarding the provision. He added, “There’s narrow exceptions you have to fit in.” Notably, this isn’t the first time the Equal Time Rule has impacted late-night television. During the 2024 presidential election, NBC granted the Trump campaign a 90-second ad spot amid allegations that Kamala Harris’s surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live (SNL) violated the Equal Time Rule. Harris’s appearance on SNL was for one minute and 30 seconds, allowing other presidential campaigns to receive equal airtime—about 90 seconds—per FCC regulations.
“Congress passed the equal time provision for a very specific reason,” Carr said, adding, “They did not want the media leads in Hollywood and in New York to put their thumbs on the scale and pick their winners and losers in primaries and general elections. That’s the point.”
The status change for daytime and late-night talk shows comes amid a stunt pulled by Texas state Representative James Talarico (D), who is running for the U.S. Senate. Talarico was slated to appear on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert; however, attorneys with CBS appear to have raised concerns about potential Equal Time violations, leading to the interview being posted only to social media and not aired on television. Colbert and Talarico both attempted to claim the segment as quashed by the FCC, which has consequently boosted the Texas Democrat’s campaign fundraising.
Despite what Colbert and Talarico claim, the Equal Time Rule has impacted non-traditional “news” programming in the past. In 2003, CBS canceled a segment on The Late Late Show featuring images of California recall election candidates to avoid having to show all 135 candidates. Even still, television networks can apply for exemptions from the Equal Time Rule, but according to Chairman Carr, “The ones we have seen have yet to establish that they qualify for the bona fide news exception.”
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, was arrested by British police in connection with revelations in the Jeffrey Epstein files released by the U.S. government.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Thames Valley Police, and the late Jeffrey Epstein.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Arrest occurred on Thursday, his 66th birthday, in the United Kingdom.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office.” – Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright
🎯IMPACT: Mountbatten-Windsor could face life imprisonment if convicted.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, previously Prince Andrew, was arrested by Thames Valley Police on Thursday—his 66th birthday. The arrest relates to his ties to deceased pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The ex-prince, whose royal titles were stripped by King Charles III last year, is suspected of misconduct in public office. Officers have carried out searches at properties in Berkshire and Norfolk.
The case centres on claims that Mountbatten-Windsor passed confidential trade documents to Epstein. An email from the Epstein files, released by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), indicates he forwarded official trade reports on Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam to Epstein.
Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein accuser who died last year, had previously accused Mountbatten-Windsor of sexually abusing her when she was 17. Her family welcomed the arrest, saying, “Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.”
King Charles III has called for a fair investigation, stressing, “Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.”
The release of the Epstein files has also put pressure on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Britain’s governing Labour Party, with Labour grandee Lord Peter Mandelson, whom Starmer appointed as ambassador to the U.S., also accused of passing confidential information to Epstein.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: An illegal immigrant from Ecuador, charged with sexual abuse of a child, was captured by federal authorities after being released due to Connecticut’s sanctuary policies.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Christian Espinosa-Sarango, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
📍WHEN & WHERE: Arrested on February 13 in North Haven, Connecticut, following charges filed on December 19, 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “These are the types of monsters Connecticut sanctuary politicians are releasing from their jails and onto the streets to perpetuate more crimes against children.” – Outgoing DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin
🎯IMPACT: The case highlights the dangers of sanctuary policies and the necessity of federal-local law enforcement cooperation.
IN FULL
Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Christian Espinosa-Sarango, an Ecuadorian national unlawfully present in the United States, on February 13 in North Haven, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Espinosa-Sarango faces charges filed December 19, 2025, including sexual assault, illegal sexual contact with a child, and enticing minors with a computer.
Court records state he communicated online with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as the aunt of a 13-year-old girl. After being told the girl’s age, he allegedly requested explicit photographs, proposed sexual encounters, and arranged to meet her at a hotel, where authorities arrested him.
Officials said Espinosa-Sarango attempted to flee in his vehicle during the arrest, forcing officers to break a car window to take him into custody.
ICE lodged a detainer request with local law enforcement on December 23, but it was not honored under Connecticut’s sanctuary policies, resulting in his release. DHS criticized the state’s Trust Act, which limits cooperation between local agencies and federal immigration authorities.
Outgoing DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned the policies, stating, “These are the types of monsters Connecticut sanctuary politicians are releasing from their jails and onto the streets to perpetuate more crimes against children.” She added, “We need local law enforcement to cooperate with us to get these heinous criminals out of our neighborhoods. Sanctuary policies make Americans less safe.”
McLaughlin praised ICE agents for apprehending Espinosa-Sarango, saying, “Thankfully, because of our brave ICE agents, Christian Espinosa-Sarango, a pedophile, will never walk American streets again. Sanctuary politicians must stop releasing pedophiles, murderers, rapists, and kidnappers into our neighborhoods.”
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration is proposing a legal change to restrict free transportation for illegal immigrants.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Department of Transportation and the Trump administration, with input from Marc Molinaro.
📍WHEN & WHERE: February 18, 2026, in the United States.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Systems that receive Federal funds are not using them to circumvent or break Federal immigrationlaw.” – Proposal Text
🎯IMPACT: Potentially restricts local governments from using federal transit funds for migrant transportation.
IN FULL
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) is drafting legislation that would prevent states and local governments from using federal transit funds to provide free transportation to illegal immigrants. The reform would prohibit the use of federal dollars for services that assist migrants in evading federal immigration enforcement. Sources familiar with the discussions say the language could be written broadly enough to cover a range of free transportation programs offered in some Democrat-led cities.
The measure is expected to be included in a broader surface transportation reauthorization package being assembled by DOT and the White House. Other provisions reportedly under consideration include banning speed cameras in Washington, D.C., and limiting federal funding for fare-free bus programs.
If enacted, the legislation would give Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy authority to withhold federal funding from transit agencies found to be using federal funds to transport illegal immigrants in ways that help them avoid federal authorities. Labor unions are reportedly watching the proposal closely.
The effort reflects a broader strategy by the Trump administration to use federal funding as leverage. DOT recently warned New York officials that transportation funds could be revoked after determining that more than half of the state’s commercial drivers were in the country illegally. The administration has also moved to cut funding to the Smithsonian Institution over disputes involving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Republican Steve Hilton has taken the lead in the California governor’s race, according to a new poll.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Steve Hilton, Governor Gavin Newsom (D), Representative Eric Swalwell (D), Sheriff Chad Bianco (R), former Rep. Katie Porter (D), and billionaire Tom Steyer.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The poll was conducted from February 13–14 in California, ahead of the June 2 primaryelection.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The Republican electorate in California is split between Steve Hilton (38%) and Chad Bianco (37%), while Hilton also picks up a plurality of independent voter support at 22%,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.
🎯IMPACT: If Hilton wins, he would be the first Republican governor of California in two decades.
IN FULL
Republican Steve Hilton has emerged as the early front-runner in the race for governor of California, according to a new survey from Emerson College Polling. The former adviser to former British Prime Minister David Cameron leads the crowded field with 17 percent support, up five points since December, while 21 percent of voters remain undecided.
Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell and Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco are tied for second at 14 percent each. Controversial former Rep. Katie Porter follows with 10 percent, while billionaire Tom Steyer trails closely behind. Among Republican voters, Hilton holds a narrow edge over Bianco, and he captures 22 percent support from independents.
“The Republican electorate in California is split between Steve Hilton (38 percent) and Chad Bianco (37 percent), while Hilton also picks up a plurality of independent voter support at 22 percent,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.
The poll, conducted February 13–14 among 1,000 likely voters, has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points. California’s last Republican governor was Arnold Schwarzenegger, reelected in 2006. The state’s top-two primary system advances the two highest vote-getters, regardless of party, from the June 2 primary to the November 5 general election.
Hilton has raised nearly $6 million, second only to Steyer, who is largely self-funding. His campaign centers on housing affordability and economic concerns. According to the survey, 53 percent of voters say they have considered leaving California due to the high cost of living. Hilton has opposed proposals such as a billionaire tax and a mileage-based tax, and he has criticized Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and Mayor Karen Bass (D) over their response to the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles.
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