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Thomas W. Hiltachk
| Thomas Hiltachk | |
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| Basic facts | |
| Organization: | Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk LLP |
| Role: | Managing Partner |
| Location: | Sacramento, California |
| Expertise: | Attorney |
| Education: | • California State University, Sacramento (B.A.) • Pacific McGeorge School of Law (J.D.) |
Thomas Hiltachk is a political and election lawyer and managing partner at the legal firm Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk LLP, which is based in Sacramento, California. Hiltachk specializes in the laws governing the initiative process in California, including writing ballot measures, qualifying measures for the ballot, and campaign finance reporting.[1]
Biography
Thomas Hiltachk graduated from the Pacific McGeorge School of Law in 1987. Hiltachk and Charles Bell created the firm Bell Hiltachk, which focused on political, election, and campaign finance laws, in 1991[2]. Colleen McAndrews joined the practice in 1993, and the firm became Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk.[2] As of 2025, the firm listed expertise in the following legal areas: initiatives and referendums; campaign law; election law; political broadcast advertising; conflicts of interest; lobbying reporting; nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations; election-related litigation; campaign reporting; placement agents; and enforcement defense.[3]
Between 2004 and 2005, Hiltachk served as president of the California Political Attorneys Association. He is also a member of the American Association of Political Consultants.[4]
Work and activity
Political activity
Hiltachk was a legal counsel for the successful campaign to recall Gov. Gray Davis (D) in 2003.[5] In the 2000s, he was lead counsel for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R).[2]
Hiltachk previously served as general counsel for the California Republican Party.[4]
Ballot measure activity
Hiltachk served as legal counsel for the campaign behind Proposition 184, also known as the Three Strikes Law, in 1994.[4]
As of July 2025, Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk's website describes Hiltachk's legal specalties as " drafting complex tax and constitutional measures and counsels on qualification efforts for ballot measure campaigns as well as all aspects of election campaigning related to such measures."[2]
Hiltachk argued before the California Supreme Court in favor of allowing the California Two-Thirds Legislative Vote and Voter Approval for New or Increased Taxes Initiative (2024) to appear on the ballot in 2024.[6] The initiative would have required new or increased taxes to be passed by a two-thirds legislative vote in each chamber and approved by a simple majority of voters. On June 20, 2024, the California Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the initiative could not go before voters in November.[7]
The following table details Thomas Hiltachk's ballot measure activities since 2010 that are available on Ballotpedia.
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Know of one we missed? Click here to let us know.
Noteworthy events
Patterson v. Padilla
In the 2019 case Patterson v. Padilla, Jessica Millan Patterson, chairperson of the California Republican Party, asked the California Supreme Court to decide whether a law requiring presidential candidates to release their tax returns violated the California Constitution.[8] Hiltachk was retained to represent Patterson and the California GOP.
Hiltachk argued that the law violated Proposition 4 (1972), which said that "candidates on the ballot are those found by the Secretary of State to be recognized candidates throughout the nation or throughout California..."[9] The state Supreme Court ruled in favor of Patterson. Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye agreed with Hiltachk's argument, saying, "This additional requirement... is in conflict with the Constitution’s specification of an inclusive open presidential primary ballot."[10]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Thomas Hiltachk California. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- What is an influencer?
- California Proposition 22, App-Based Drivers as Contractors and Labor Policies Initiative (2020)
- California Cash Bail in Constitution Initiative (2020)
- California Proposition 20, Criminal Sentencing, Parole, and DNA Collection Initiative (2020)
- California Proposition 25, Replace Cash Bail with Risk Assessments Referendum (2020)
- California Proposition 15, Tax on Commercial and Industrial Properties for Education and Local Government Funding Initiative (2020)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk LLP, "Attorneys," accessed November 12, 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk," "Attorneys," accessed July 28, 2025
- ↑ Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP, "Homepage," accessed July 28, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "McGeorge Community Stories," "Alumnus served as legal counsel for candidates and officeholders," April 8, 2024
- ↑ SFGate, "Recall is on / Vote on Davis: 1.3 million signatures force fall election," July 24, 2003
- ↑ "California Courts Newsroom," "Photos/Video: California Supreme Court Holds Oral Argument," May 8, 2024
- ↑ "The Supreme Court of the State of California," "Legislature v. Weber," June 20, 2024
- ↑ "Harvard Law Review," "Recent Case: Patterson v. Padilla," November 27, 2019
- ↑ Associated Press, "California justices skeptical of requiring Trump tax returns," November 6, 2019
- ↑ Fortune, "Trump Doesn’t Have to Disclose His Taxes to Be on California’s Primary Ballot," November 21, 2019
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