Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, frequent Newsom critic, ponders a run to succeed him
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a conservative firebrand known for voicing law-and-order views and fierce criticism of Gov. Gavin Newsom, is considering a run for governor in 2026.
Bianco, who was first elected as sheriff in 2018 after a decades-long career at the Riverside County Sheriffâs Office, hasnât formally announced his candidacy. However, he told The Times in an interview Friday that heâs discussing with his family a run for the stateâs top job.
âI live in the perfect place. I have the perfect job, and I would do this for the next 40 years if people would keep electing me here in Riverside County,â Bianco said. âSo this is a huge thing for me to decide to just give up. The growing number of people that are trying to convince me to do this is a bug in my ear that, quite frankly, has given me something to think about.â
The sheriff, who has called attention to what he sees as deficiencies in statewide public safety laws, had a viral moment this month when he posted a video on Instagram â which he says was tongue-in-cheek â endorsing Donald Trumpâs presidential campaign. In it, the sheriff, sitting in a car wearing his uniform, says that after years of being critical of policies that have closed prisons or reduced jail sentences, he is âgoing to change teams.â
âI think itâs time we put a felon in the White House,â he says. âTrump 2024, baby. Letâs save this country and make America great again.â
Read more: Guilty: Trump becomes first former U.S. president convicted of felony crimes
Critics called him out for advocating for a candidate while wearing a taxpayer-funded uniform.
State Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who is running for governor, called for an investigation into Biancoâs actions and accused him of breaking a state law that prohibits officers or employees of local agencies from participating in political activities while in uniform.
âWe canât afford to have a criminal in the White House or a governor who doesnât follow the law,â Thurmond said in a video posted on X. On Friday, Thurmond challenged Bianco to a debate âabout the issues, from [Biancoâs] misuse of taxpayer funds to the myriad of challenges facing the people of California.â
Bianco told The Times he has âzero regretsâ about posting the video and was dismayed that his detractors failed to address the first portion of it, in which he points out the public safety challengesfacing the state.
âItâs shocking that the only thing that would garner attention is me saying I support Trump. Itâs the epitome of the failure of the political system,â Bianco said. âEveryone just wants to talk about what they want to talk about and avoid the disaster theyâre part of or that they have caused.â
In 2021, Bianco grabbed headlines for vowing not to enforce vaccine mandates for Sheriffâs Office employees, saying he believes vaccination is a personal choice.
A month later, Bianco faced scrutiny after it was revealed through a data leak that in 2014 he was a dues-paying member of the Oath Keepers, a violent far-right, anti-government group whose ranks participated in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
At the time, he said in a statement that âlike many other law enforcement officers and veterans who were members, I learned the group did not offer me anything and so I did not continue membership.â
Last year, Bianco was among a coalition of 90 sheriffs across the country who publicly endorsed the tough stance on border security taken by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination.
More recently, Bianco has appeared on television news outlets to champion an initiative called the Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act, which seeks to change Proposition 47, the 2014 ballot measure that reduced some nonviolent property crimes and simple drug possession to misdemeanors.
The initiative would toughen penalties for retail theft and require drug treatment for those charged with possession.
Read more: New change coming to retail theft legislation could splinter support for tough-on-crime initiative
A coalition of sheriffs across California, the Republican Party of Riverside County and a number of current and former lawmakers have called on Bianco to run for governor.
Former state Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth, who is leading a group called the âDraft Bianco coalition,â said in a statement this week that the sheriffâs candidacy would provide a âreal alternativeâ for California voters.
âIn the face of Sacramentoâs failures on issues like crime and homelessness, Sheriff Biancoâs leadership has been an example for other communities to follow across the state,â Hollingsworth said.
Bianco would be the first high-profile Republican to enter the crowded race to succeed Newsom, who terms out in 2027.
In addition to Thurmond, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, state Sen. Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and former state Controller Betty Yee have announced their candidacies.
âI donât want to be just the Republican running for governor. I want to be the leader that people want to fix this state,â Bianco said.
âAnd if I can get mentally to a point where I believe that California wants a leader to fix the state, then I will make the decision to do it.â
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.