Jack Hibbs is the senior and founding pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in Chino Hills, California, and the founder and president of Real Life, a ministry whose syndicated radio and television program is Real Life with Jack Hibbs.
Case
Republican Steve Hilton's Just Try It ad shows two young women, one guiding the other's hand to mark a ballot for him. Sonja Shaw and Michael Gates, who have campaigned with him, condemned it, while Hilton calls it satire.
Role at the time: Senior pastor, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills
Statement summary
In an X post, Hibbs, the pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, wrote that Hilton's ad is "Grotesque. Insensitive." and that "Somebody on his team made an ignorant decision, and I'm furious." He added that he is still voting for Hilton because of Hilton's policies.
“Steve Hilton's "Try It" ad? Grotesque. Insensitive. Somebody on his team made an ignorant decision, and I'm furious. But for California's greater good, for your good, I'm still voting for Steve. His policies are statesmanship-like. No one matches him. This election, from the top of the ballot down, needs your vote for TEAM RED because Team Blue has destroyed this with 100% total control of California for over sixteen years now.”
The reference point is whether the Just Try It ad was an appropriate way to campaign. Hibbs rejects the ad in his own words, calling it grotesque and insensitive and saying he is furious about the decision to make it. He says he will still vote for Hilton, but that is a position on the candidate and not on the ad, so we did not treat it as Mixed or conditional.
Statement dates: October 4, 2026
Statement dates: October 4, 2026
