California Candidate Dons Opponent’s Mask While Tennessee Congressman’s Son Impersonates His Father for Halloween

With early voting underway and just days remaining before the midterm elections, two political figures used Halloween to make campaign points through costumes and social media videos.

California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton wore a mask depicting his Democratic opponent, former Biden-era Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, at a trunk-or-treat event Saturday in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. In a video posted to social media, Hilton used the costume to criticize Becerra’s record on gas prices, vehicle registration fees, and a proposed mileage tax.

The mileage tax reference stems from comments Becerra made Wednesday, when he said he would consider implementing a per-mile tax on California drivers. Hilton’s campaign noted that nearly five million Californians had already cast ballots by the time Becerra made that statement.

In a separate post, Hilton reiterated his opposition to the proposal, urging voters to reject what he called a tax on every mile driven in the state.

Tennessee Congressman’s Son Dresses as His Father

In Tennessee, the son of Republican Rep. Tim Burchett, who represents the state’s 2nd Congressional District, dressed as his father for Halloween and posted two videos to social media.

In one clip, the son delivers a message in a voice closely resembling Burchett’s own: “Hey, everybody, Tim Burchett. Just early voted. Please get out and vote.”

The second video recreates a moment in which Burchett responded to a question about whether he still trusted the Trump administration’s national security team following a leak involving a Signal group chat. In the original exchange, Burchett replied:

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

A separate video featuring Hilton, which appeared to be AI-generated, depicted Becerra dressed as California’s governor and warned voters against the proposed mileage tax.

The costumes and videos circulated widely on social media as both parties continue to campaign ahead of the midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress and the outcome of California’s gubernatorial race.