A Podcast with the "Golden Ticket" - Hilton for Governor, Romero for Lt. Governor, Morgan for Controller, Gates for Attorney General

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🎙️ This Week on the So, Does It Matter? Podcast — Meet the “Golden Ticket” Slate Taking Aim at Sacramento

This week’s episode is a first for the podcast — four guests at once. I sat down with what they’re calling the “Golden Ticket” slate: Steve Hilton for Governor, Gloria Romero for Lieutenant Governor, Michael Gates for Attorney General*, and Herb Morgan for Controller. The goal was simple: hear how a coordinated Republican team would tackle California’s biggest failures — cost of living, crime, education, and government waste — and how their offices would work together instead of operating in silos.

While I don’t endorse candidates in these interviews, my goal is to give you direct access to the leading voices offering a different direction for California. This podcast lets you hear their ideas in their own words so you can make up your own mind.

Hilton framed the core problem as a bloated, overreaching state bureaucracy that drives high costs across the board — from gas and electricity to housing and vehicle fees. He outlined immediate executive actions, including regulatory rollbacks, agency leadership changes, and a budget centered on tax relief and lower living costs. The theme: use the governor’s control of the executive branch to move fast rather than wait for legislative permission.

Romero focused on how an active lieutenant governor can influence policy through appointments, Senate procedure, and higher-education governance. She zeroed in on accountability in K–12 and universities, arguing that California is spending more while students are leaving less prepared, and that political ideology has displaced academic standards and campus safety.

Gates emphasized a return to consistent law enforcement statewide. Drawing on his background as a prosecutor and former DOJ official, he talked about enforcing voter-approved crime laws, backing local prosecutors, and using the attorney general’s authority to push uniform public-safety standards — including Title IX compliance in schools and colleges.

Morgan made the fiscal case, describing the controller as a watchdog with the power to audit how billions are spent. His pitch: radical financial transparency, real-time tracking of public dollars, and close coordination with the attorney general when fraud is uncovered.

If you’ve ever wondered what a unified opposition team would actually do — not just what they’re against, but how they’d govern — this conversation lays it out in concrete terms.

* I have endorsed Michael.

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Useful Links…

Steve Hilton For Governor Website
Steve Hilton on X

Gloria Romero for Lt. Governor Website
Gloria Romero on X

Herb Morgan for Controller Website
Herb Wesson on X

Michael Gates for Attorney General Website
Michael Gates on X

Jon Fleischman on X

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Take care!
Jon