California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton turned to Halloween humor over the weekend to attack Democratic opponent Xavier Becerra, mocking the former Biden administration health secretary over his newly stated willingness to consider a mileage tax on drivers.

Hilton appeared Saturday dressed as Becerra, complete with a mask, using the costume to draw attention to the Democrat’s comments just days before the election.

The stunt centered on Becerra’s revelation Wednesday that he would consider imposing a tax based on how many miles Californians drive.

The proposal immediately gave Hilton another issue to use against his opponent as Republicans argue that California drivers already face high costs while dealing with poor road conditions and the highest gas tax in the country.

Gun Laws Have Changed! Protect yourself by knowing where you can and cannot carry your firearm, so you can travel with confidence.

The timing of Becerra’s comments also became part of Hilton’s criticism.

Becerra disclosed his willingness to consider a mileage tax with only days remaining before voters head to the polls and after nearly five million people had already cast their ballots.

Hilton argued that voters should have known about such a proposal much earlier in the campaign rather than learning about it after millions of Californians had already voted.

His Halloween appearance portrayed Becerra while highlighting the mileage-tax proposal as an example of the affordability issues Republicans have been raising during the campaign.

Trunk-or-Treat in Highland Park, LA!

Becerra's policies should FRIGHTEN you: $8 gas, sky-high vehicle registration fees... and now a $1,000 mileage tax! Just 3 days left to vote against this INSANITY. Tell everyone you know to do the same! https://t.co/FSbCaemRtN — Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonx) October 31, 2026

Hilton also returned to the subject in a separate social media post, continuing to criticize Becerra and Democrats over policies that could increase costs for California residents.

The mileage-tax debate comes as Democrats campaign heavily on affordability, while Republicans are pointing to taxes and other government-imposed costs as evidence that Democratic policies are making everyday expenses more difficult for families.

Xavier Becerra wants to tax us for every mile we drive in California, but you can stop him and stop the insanity in Sacramento if you VOTE! https://t.co/Bhg402TLSB

— Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonx) November 1, 2026

Hilton was not the only Republican using Halloween to mix campaign politics with humor.

Rep. Tim Burchett’s son dressed as the Tennessee Republican for Halloween and recreated his father’s mannerisms in a pair of short videos.

In one clip, Burchett’s son encouraged people to participate in early voting.

“Hey, everybody, Tim Burchett," he says in one. "Just early voted. Please get out and vote.”

The humor came largely from the younger Burchett’s delivery, which sounded remarkably similar to his father.

The resemblance raised questions among viewers about whether the audio had been overdubbed, whether Burchett’s son had simply mastered his father’s voice, or whether artificial intelligence had been used to recreate the congressman’s distinctive delivery.

A second clip recreated a previous exchange involving Burchett and a questioner who asked whether the congressman still trusted members of the Trump administration’s national security team following the Signal chat leak.

Burchett’s original response became the centerpiece of the recreation.

“Do you trust your mother every night to fix your Hot Pockets and make sure your Game Boy is turned on?”

The younger Burchett reproduced the moment as part of his Halloween impression of his father.

Happy Halloween, everybody. https://t.co/NrwvagRmi0

— Tim Burchett (@timburchett) October 31, 2026

Hilton also released another video targeting Becerra, though that clip appeared to be generated with artificial intelligence.

The video imagined Becerra as California’s future governor, turning the Democratic candidate’s potential victory into the subject of another Halloween-themed campaign attack.

California, you already pay the highest taxes in the country. Don't let this clown trick you into paying MORE!

This Halloween, VOTE to stop Becerra's Mileage Tax. Just Try It! https://t.co/OxUT1qYgdu — Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonx) October 31, 2026

The jokes arrived with only a few days remaining before the election, when both campaigns are making their final appeals to voters.

For Hilton, Becerra’s mileage-tax comments offered a late opportunity to focus the race on taxes and the cost of living in California.

Becerra served as secretary of Health and Human Services during the Biden administration before entering the California governor’s race. His statement that he would consider a mileage-based tax now gives Republicans another clear policy difference to highlight in the closing days.

The fact that nearly five million ballots had already been cast before the proposal surfaced is also likely to remain part of Hilton’s criticism.

While much of Saturday’s campaigning came wrapped in Halloween costumes and jokes, the underlying dispute was serious: whether California should consider imposing another charge on motorists based on the distance they travel.

Hilton used the holiday to make sure Becerra’s answer stayed in front of voters as Election Day approached.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.