Democrats have held one-party rule in California for 16 years.
Posted by The Dan Bongino Show, Checked Updated
- Sources
- 3 support5 context
- Said
- 2 times·
- Confidence
- 65%
The Dan Bongino ShowOct 16, 2026
The claim's core, that Democrats have controlled California's governorship, statewide offices and legislature for about 16 years, is supported by several sources, most directly the LA Times opinion piece saying Democrats have held the governor's desk, every other statewide office and both legislative houses for nearly 16 years.
What was said
… Yeah, there's another poll today that was half that, and there was one last week that was six points. I think we can do it, because, look, I think we all agree, 16 years now we've been doing the D in California, and we're not in great shape. You think the real reason is you haven't distanced yourself enough from Trump? As long as Trump is the president, Kentucky, he has an R by his name, and you have an R by your name. …
Real Time with Bill Maher · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. An LA Times opinion piece dated 2026-10-27 states that since 2011 Democrats have held the governor's desk, every other statewide office and both legislative houses for nearly 16 years.[1]
Supports. The Hoover Institution piece dated 2026-10-29 says Democrats control every statewide constitutional office and supermajorities in both legislative chambers.[2]
Supports. The American Prospect (2026-02-09) reports Democrats have controlled roughly three-quarters of legislative seats and won every statewide election since 2010.[3]
Context. Legislative Democratic control predates the 16-year window, with Democrats holding the legislature since 1970 apart from brief interruptions, so the 16-year figure reflects combined governorship and statewide control rather than the legislature alone.[4][5]
Context. The 16-year phrasing originates with Steve Hilton's campaign remarks, which the claimant repeats; those statements are not independent corroboration.[6][7][8]
Sources
8 sources: 7 not rated, 1 tier 2
- 1A Republican governor would bring productive tension to ...latimes.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 2Who Lost California?hoover.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 3The Nation’s Most Democratic State Might Elect a Trump-Friendly Governor - The American Prospectprospect.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4California Democrats Belatedly Realize the Consequences ...nationalreview.com · tier 2 · cited for: context
- 5How Long Have Democrats Controlled California?legalclarity.org · not rated · cited for: context
- 65 takeaways from gubernatorial debate Californians should knowrecordnet.com · not rated · cited for: context
- 7Steve Hilton explains why he should be California's next governorkcra.com · not rated · cited for: context
- 8Steve Hilton on Trump, affordability, and homelessnesskcrw.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 2 published posts
Checked 2 times
Each check reads the sources again. The newest verdict is the one this page states.
- · latestTrue
- True
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