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Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton's plans for Calif. and San Diego

The Republican discusses income taxes, $3 gas, Sunbreak Ranch and the Tijuana River sewage crisis.

Election

It&#x27;s time to vote for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="governor" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/06/03/san-francisco-california-self-funded-candidates-chakrabarti-steyer-election-results" data-vars-content-id="08a65fad-9c3c-4843-bdba-d55e2d40e31c" data-vars-headline="Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton&#x27;s plans for Calif. and San Diego" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/06/03/san-francisco-california-self-funded-candidates-chakrabarti-steyer-election-results" target="_self">governor</a> in California.The big picture: Democrat Xavier Becerra is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="squaring off against" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/06/10/california-governor-race-runoff-steve-hilton-xavier-becerra-election-2026" data-vars-content-id="08a65fad-9c3c-4843-bdba-d55e2d40e31c" data-vars-headline="Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton&#x27;s plans for Calif. and San Diego" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/06/10/california-governor-race-runoff-steve-hilton-xavier-becerra-election-2026" target="_self">squaring off against</a> Republican Steve Hilton. Axios sent questions to both candidates and today we share Hilton&#x27;s responses.

Your San Diego pumpkin patch guide

From corn mazes to hayrides, these local farms offer fall fun for kids, adults and dogs this season.

Things to Do

The weather isn&#x27;t exactly autumnal, but that won&#x27;t stop us from getting our pumpkin patch on.The big picture: There are several across the county to choose from.

San Diego's 48th District candidates answer our questions

They discuss housing, health care and the issues that could put them at odds with their own parties.

The 48th Congressional District race is attracting national attention and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="big spending" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/11/senate-campaign-ad-spending-most-expensive-election" data-vars-content-id="e3eedc94-1c65-4a0e-a171-2ec2ab765f1f" data-vars-headline="San Diego&#x27;s 48th District candidates answer our questions" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/11/senate-campaign-ad-spending-most-expensive-election" target="_self">big spending</a>, as Democrats hope to flip the seat from red to blue.The big picture: Republican Rep. Darrell Issa opted not to run again after <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="redistricting made the district favorable" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/10/09/how-prop-50-could-change-elections-in-san-diego" data-vars-content-id="e3eedc94-1c65-4a0e-a171-2ec2ab765f1f" data-vars-headline="San Diego&#x27;s 48th District candidates answer our questions" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/10/09/how-prop-50-could-change-elections-in-san-diego" target="_self">redistricting made the district favorable</a> to Democrats, and Democratic City Councilwoman <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Marni von Wilpert" data-vars-click-url="https://www.marnivonwilpert.com/" data-vars-content-id="e3eedc94-1c65-4a0e-a171-2ec2ab765f1f" data-vars-headline="San Diego&#x27;s 48th District candidates answer our questions" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.marnivonwilpert.com/" target="_blank">Marni von Wilpert</a> is hoping to capitalize on that.<ul><li>Meanwhile, County Supervisor <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Jim Desmond" data-vars-click-url="https://www.desmondforcongress.com/" data-vars-content-id="e3eedc94-1c65-4a0e-a171-2ec2ab765f1f" data-vars-headline="San Diego&#x27;s 48th District candidates answer our questions" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.desmondforcongress.com/" target="_blank">Jim Desmond</a> is trying to keep the seat in the Republican camp.</li></ul>

San Diego's relentless heat wave keeps breaking records

Cooler weather is expected Friday, with a chance of rain Sunday after a string of scorching days.

Environment

It hasn&#x27;t been <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="this hot" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/08/24/san-diego-weather-heat-advisory-110-115-forecast" data-vars-content-id="ef2e7b21-8390-45f6-b2fb-64373ab87884" data-vars-headline="San Diego&#x27;s relentless heat wave keeps breaking records" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/08/24/san-diego-weather-heat-advisory-110-115-forecast" target="_self">this hot</a> for this long in San Diego in almost 100 years.The big picture: The airport just recorded six straight days with temperatures of at least 90 degrees. If it gets that hot again Thursday (which is possible), it would break <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="1939&#x27;s record" data-vars-click-url="https://todaysrecordhigh.com/stations/san-diego-ca?rangeEnd=09-16&amp;rangeStart=09-01&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com" data-vars-content-id="ef2e7b21-8390-45f6-b2fb-64373ab87884" data-vars-headline="San Diego&#x27;s relentless heat wave keeps breaking records" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://todaysrecordhigh.com/stations/san-diego-ca?rangeEnd=09-16&amp;rangeStart=09-01&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">1939&#x27;s record</a> for the most consecutive days at or above 90°.

San Diego has the nation's second-lowest share of colorful cars

Only 15.9% of San Diego-area cars fall outside black, white, gray or silver, according to iSeeCars.

Transit

San Diegans are not fans of color when it comes to our cars.The big picture: San Diego has one of the lowest shares of cars that are not black, white, gray or silver, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="per an analysis from automotive research platform iSeeCars.com" data-vars-click-url="https://www.iseecars.com/articles/americas-most-and-least-colorful-car-markets" data-vars-content-id="d7b7a5d7-e595-4b4e-bb29-98f1ff28c04d" data-vars-headline="San Diego has the nation&#x27;s second-lowest share of colorful cars" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.iseecars.com/articles/americas-most-and-least-colorful-car-markets" target="_blank">per an analysis from automotive research platform iSeeCars.com</a>.

San Diego's parking ticket hot spots, mapped by neighborhood

City data shows where citations pile up — and which parking rules trip up drivers in each area.

If you&#x27;re parking <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="downtown" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/09/01/special-event-parking-meter-tickets-citations-increase" data-vars-content-id="63aed0dc-c778-4f5f-b8d1-7df046e65056" data-vars-headline="San Diego&#x27;s parking ticket hot spots, mapped by neighborhood" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/09/01/special-event-parking-meter-tickets-citations-increase" target="_self">downtown</a>, in North Park or in Pacific Beach, pay attention.The big picture: Those three neighborhoods have seen the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="most parking tickets" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/09/01/parking-tickets-downtown-pacific-beach-mission-bay-torrey-pines" data-vars-content-id="63aed0dc-c778-4f5f-b8d1-7df046e65056" data-vars-headline="San Diego&#x27;s parking ticket hot spots, mapped by neighborhood" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/09/01/parking-tickets-downtown-pacific-beach-mission-bay-torrey-pines" target="_self">most parking tickets</a> this year, according to city data analyzed by Axios.

Best and worst times to drive for Labor Day

AAA says leaving before 1pm Thursday can help travelers dodge some of the weekend's worst delays.

Stay off the roads Thursday evening, especially the 15 North, to avoid the worst Labor Day weekend traffic, according to forecasts from AAA and INRIX.Why it matters: Peak holiday congestion could add serious time to your <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="trip" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/29/summer-travel-prices-destinations" data-vars-content-id="70c4ec2e-4ea5-42f1-941f-fa05006217c6" data-vars-headline="Best and worst times to drive for Labor Day" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/29/summer-travel-prices-destinations" target="_self">trip</a>.

Waymo officially launches driverless rides in San Diego

Public robotaxi rides start Tuesday across a 50-square-mile area, with more expansion planned.

If you want to ride in a car driven by a robot, your time has arrived.Driving the news: Waymo officially starts offering rides to the public on Tuesday, after <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="testing with humans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/01/29/waymo-autonomous-vehicles-testing-drivers-san-diego-las-vegas" data-vars-content-id="d00c3654-e365-4f6f-85de-880f06820a64" data-vars-headline="Waymo officially launches driverless rides in San Diego" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/01/29/waymo-autonomous-vehicles-testing-drivers-san-diego-las-vegas" target="_self">testing with humans</a> for more than a year and allowing Alphabet employees to get <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="driverless rides" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/07/08/waymo-driverless-cars-san-diego-robotaxi-rides-public-launch" data-vars-content-id="d00c3654-e365-4f6f-85de-880f06820a64" data-vars-headline="Waymo officially launches driverless rides in San Diego" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/07/08/waymo-driverless-cars-san-diego-robotaxi-rides-public-launch" target="_self">driverless rides</a> since July.

Special-event parking tickets are on the rise

The citations are rising, though they still make up just 5% of all meter-related tickets.

Sports

The city has started giving out <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="special-event parking tickets" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/08/04/san-diego-parking-rates-increase-petco-park" data-vars-content-id="d44c8461-8d5e-4802-807b-0448f61b9146" data-vars-headline="Special-event parking tickets are on the rise" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/08/04/san-diego-parking-rates-increase-petco-park" target="_self">special-event parking tickets</a> in recent months and is now raking in the money from drivers who broke the rules around Petco Park.The big picture: The city doled out $223,897.50 in fines across more than 4,100 special-event citations from April (when the effort began) through the end of July, according to an Axios analysis of city data.

Where San Diego drivers are getting the most parking tickets

Five San Diego locations each racked up hundreds of parking tickets through July.

If you&#x27;re headed <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="downtown" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2023/08/31/downtown-san-diego-parking-lots" data-vars-content-id="fda088fd-7c6a-4986-bfcd-cb4bbfdaed75" data-vars-headline="Where San Diego drivers are getting the most parking tickets" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2023/08/31/downtown-san-diego-parking-lots" target="_self">downtown</a> or to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="beach" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/03/07/san-diego-paid-parking-balboa-park-mission-bay-park" data-vars-content-id="fda088fd-7c6a-4986-bfcd-cb4bbfdaed75" data-vars-headline="Where San Diego drivers are getting the most parking tickets" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/03/07/san-diego-paid-parking-balboa-park-mission-bay-park" target="_self">beach</a>, keep an eye on those parking signs.The big picture: These were the most common places to get a parking ticket in January through July, according to an Axios analysis of city data:

What it's like to ride in a driverless Waymo

Early rides will avoid highways, limiting longer trips while making shorter city hops more practical.

I got a brief preview of the not-too-distant future, when driverless Waymo cars will soon roam our streets.The big picture: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Waymo" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/07/22/san-diego-waymo-reader-reactions-driverless-cars-autonomous-vehicles-opinions" data-vars-content-id="75682279-38fe-45f6-a3dc-27b31b23a593" data-vars-headline="What it&#x27;s like to ride in a driverless Waymo" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/07/22/san-diego-waymo-reader-reactions-driverless-cars-autonomous-vehicles-opinions" target="_self">Waymo</a> received its final approval last week to roll out autonomous cars in San Diego and plans to launch in stages soon, spokesperson Sandy Karp told Axios.<ul><li>Last week, I went on a driverless ride.</li></ul>

How San Diego helped launch the self-driving car era

A 1995 cross-country drive ended in San Diego and helped prove autonomous cars could become reality.

Long before Waymos and Teslas <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="roamed our roads" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/07/08/waymo-driverless-cars-san-diego-robotaxi-rides-public-launch" data-vars-content-id="5b599bb0-8f0b-4346-80bf-c35d3f0263c7" data-vars-headline="How San Diego helped launch the self-driving car era" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/07/08/waymo-driverless-cars-san-diego-robotaxi-rides-public-launch" target="_self">roamed our roads</a> without drivers, there was the 1995 minivan that steered itself 2,849 miles from Pittsburgh to San Diego.The big picture: This minivan was one of the first demonstrations that self-driving cars were possible. It helped pave the way for some of the autonomous vehicles we see today, Todd Jochem, who worked on the project, told Axios.

San Diegans are split on riding in Waymos

Some readers love the driverless cars. Others say they'll never set foot in one.

Since Waymo&#x27;s arrival <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="in San Diego is imminent" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/07/08/waymo-driverless-cars-san-diego-robotaxi-rides-public-launch" data-vars-content-id="decd72ac-783b-486d-833f-cdd707360c5d" data-vars-headline="San Diegans are split on riding in Waymos" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/07/08/waymo-driverless-cars-san-diego-robotaxi-rides-public-launch" target="_self">in San Diego is imminent</a>, we asked if you&#x27;d ever ride in one of the driverless cars, and boy, did you have opinions.The big picture: Some of you can&#x27;t wait to hop in and ride with no one behind the wheel. Others say never in a million years.

San Diego starts lowering speed limits around schools

The city is installing thousands of new signs as lower speed limits roll out neighborhood by neighborhood.

Politics

San Diego is starting to cut speed limits on streets around schools in San Ysidro and Otay Mesa this week, and then will expand to the rest of the city.Why it matters: This is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="part of a plan" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/03/24/san-diego-speed-limit-reductions-need-funding-2-4-million" data-vars-content-id="35d88603-339d-42d7-89ac-3d3009d6df99" data-vars-headline="San Diego starts lowering speed limits around schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/03/24/san-diego-speed-limit-reductions-need-funding-2-4-million" target="_self">part of a plan</a> approved by the City Council last spring to improve street safety.<ul><li>It came after <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="multiple children were killed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/02/23/jackson-drive-lake-baldwin-stop-sign-tickets-andrew-olsen-san-carlos" data-vars-content-id="35d88603-339d-42d7-89ac-3d3009d6df99" data-vars-headline="San Diego starts lowering speed limits around schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/02/23/jackson-drive-lake-baldwin-stop-sign-tickets-andrew-olsen-san-carlos" target="_self">multiple children were killed</a> by drivers last year.</li></ul>

Transit 🚗

San Diego has the nation's second-lowest share of colorful cars

San Diego's parking ticket hot spots, mapped by neighborhood

Best and worst times to drive for Labor Day

Waymo officially launches driverless rides in San Diego

Special-event parking tickets are on the rise