Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a conservative firebrand known for his law-and-order views and fierce criticism of Gov. Gavin Newsom, is considering Run for governor in 2026.
Bianco, who worked for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office for decades and was first elected as sheriff in 2018, has not officially announced his candidacy. However, he told The Times in an interview on Friday that he was discussing a run for the state’s top office with his family.
“I live in a perfect place. I have a perfect job, and if the people of Riverside County continue to elect me, I’m going to be in this job for the next 40 years. “So that’s the decision for me to give up. A big deal. More and more people are trying to convince me to do this, which is a bug in my ears, and frankly it’s given me something to think about.
The sheriff has not been shy about calling attention to what he sees as shortcomings in public safety laws across the state, drawing widespread attention this month when he posted a tongue-in-cheek video on Instagram supporting Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. In the video, the sergeant, who is in uniform and sitting in a car, joked that he was “going to change teams” after years of criticizing policies that closed jails or commuted sentences.
“I think it’s time to put a felon in the White House,” he deadpanned. “Trump 2024, baby. Let’s save this country and make America great again.
Critics accuse him of wearing a taxpayer-funded uniform to defend candidates.
State Trooper. Public Instruction Secretary Tony Thurmond, who is running for governor, has called for an investigation into Bianco’s conduct and accused him of violating state law, which prohibits officers or employees of local agencies from participating in political activities while in uniform.
“We can’t have a criminal in the White House and a governor who doesn’t abide by the law,” Thurmond said in a video posted on X. On Friday, Thurmond challenged Bianco to debate “these issues.” ,from [Bianco’s] Misuse of taxpayer funds creates countless challenges for the people of California.
Bianco told The Times he had “zero regrets” about releasing the footage and was frustrated that critics failed to address the first part of the video, in which he noted public safety challenges facing the state.
“It’s shocking that the only thing that gets attention is me saying I support Trump. This is the epitome of the failure of the political system,” Bianco said. “Everyone just wants to talk about what they want to say and avoid the disaster they participated in or caused.”
Bianco made headlines in 2021 for vowing not to enforce vaccination mandates on Sheriff’s Department employees, saying he believed vaccination was a personal choice.
A month later, Bianco faced scrutiny over a leak in which he was a dues-paying member of the Oath Keepers, a far-right anti-government group whose members participated in the 2014 Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. member.
Last year, Bianco and a coalition of 90 sheriffs across the country publicly backed the tough stance on border security taken by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination.
Recently, Bianco appeared on television news outlets in support of an initiative called the Homelessness, Addiction and Theft Reduction Act, which seeks to amend Proposition 47, a 2014 ballot measure Reduce some nonviolent property crimes and simple drug possession to misdemeanors. The initiative would strengthen penalties for retail theft and require drug treatment for those charged with possession.
A coalition of sheriffs from across California, the Riverside County Republican Party and some current and former lawmakers have called on Bianco to run for governor.
Dennis Hollingsworth, a former state senator who leads a group called the Draft Bianco Alliance, said in a statement this week that the sheriff’s candidacy would provide California voters with a “real s Choice”.
“In the face of Sacramento’s failures on issues like crime and homelessness, Chief Bianco’s leadership serves as a model for other communities across the state to follow,” Hollingsworth said.
Bianco would be the first Republican to enter a tight race to succeed Newsom, who leaves office in 2027. State Sen. Tony Atkins (D-San Diego) and former state Rep. Finance Director Betty Yee have announced their candidacies.
“I don’t want to just be a Republican running for governor. I want to be a leader that people want to solve this problem,” Bianco said. “If I could mentally believe that California wanted a leader to fix this state, then I would have made the decision to do that.”
