As gas prices soar across California, the sign at the Fuel Depot gas station on Storke Road in Goleta flashed $3.00 per gallon for 87 grade gas on Tuesday morning. Candidate Steve Hilton, running as a Republican to replace California Governor Gavin Newsom, was at the station pumping gas for constituents in an illegal attempt to sway their vote. His campaign paid the difference in price — 87 grade fuel was priced at $5.86 per gallon at the station — for 150 cars, providing up to 12 gallons of gas leaving drivers paying a maximum price of $36. https://www.independent.com/2026/09/23/goleta-gas-station-sells-drivers-3-gas-gubernatorial-candidate-steve-hilton-paid-the-rest/