Riverside County Sheriff First Major Republican to Announce Candidacy for California Governor
RIVERSIDE, Calif.—On Monday, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco declared his candidacy for governor of California in the upcoming 2026 election, marking him as the first prominent Republican to officially launch a campaign nearly two years ahead of the election.
Bianco, a vocal advocate for President Donald Trump and his policies, was originally elected sheriff in 2018 and boasts over three decades of experience in law enforcement. He joins a growing roster of candidates eager to challenge Gov. Gavin Newsom, amid the GOP’s struggle to identify a serious contender for the statewide race.
As he made his campaign announcement in downtown Riverside, Bianco criticized the Democratic policies that he claims have exacerbated the homelessness crisis in urban areas and contributed to the state’s housing affordability issues.
“It is solely our Democrat elected officials who bear responsibility for the decline of California,” he asserted. “What have they provided us? Rampant crime, soaring taxes, the highest cost of living in the nation, tent cities in every major city, increased fentanyl fatalities, devastating wildfires, a malfunctioning home insurance market, and countless people throughout our state struggling to afford basic necessities like groceries and gas. Californians deserve far better.”
Positioning himself as a law-and-order conservative, Bianco indicated that his campaign would transcend the partisan divide, focusing instead on a collective vision for “a better California.”
“We will carry our message of restoring sanity to every corner of our beautiful state,” he stated.
Related Stories
Notably, Democratic candidates in the race include former Los Angeles Mayor and Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, former state Controller Betty Yee, and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. According to polling conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California, former Vice President Kamala Harris would have a favorable position if she decides to run, although she has not yet indicated her plans.
The quest to succeed Newsom, who is term-limited until 2027, is expected to evolve into a competitive contest among Democrats, drawing the party’s leading figures vying for the opportunity to oversee the nation’s most populated state and the world’s fifth largest economy.
