(The Center Square) – Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, an outspoken critic of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and supporter of President Donald Trump, says he is running for governor.
“I think California is in desperate need of an honest, ethical governor with integrity whose sole interest is to serve all of California,” Bianco, 57, told hundreds of supporters Monday at Avila’s Historic 1929 Event Center in Riverside, a city east of Los Angeles.
Bianco is the first major Republican to announce his candidacy in a crowded race featuring five Democrats vying to succeed Newsom, a Democrat who is in the second and final consecutive term allowed under California law.
Bianco, whose rally was covered by Los Angeles TV stations, criticized Democrats for policies that he says have led to the state’s economic decline and favored criminals over victims.
Bianco, who has served as sheriff for six years and has worked for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office since 1993, was a vocal supporter of Proposition 36, a measure that California voters passed in November to allow tougher sentences on some drug and theft crimes. The measure turned some misdemeanors into felonies.
Bianco also cited the state’s gasoline prices, high cost of living and wasteful government spending as factors that contribute to companies leaving the state. AAA Tuesday said the state’s average price is $4.85 a gallon, the highest in the U.S. The national average is $3.16.
So far, the Democratic candidates in the gubernatorial race are Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former California Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and former state Controller Betty Yee.
Under state law, the two candidates with the most votes in the June 2, 2026, primary, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
People held signs Monday in support of Bianco, but there were some protesters against his candidacy. Bianco has faced criticism over the increase in deaths in Riverside County Jail. He and Riverside County have been sued by a large number of families who blame the deaths on failures by the Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff has blamed the inmate deaths on factors such as COVID-19, fentanyl and mental health issues.
Bianco also has been criticized for appearing in uniform in a June 2024 Instagram video endorsing Trump, in which he said, “I think it’s time we put a felon in the White House. Trump 2024, baby.”
Trump became the first president to be convicted of felonies after a New York City jury in May found him guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
After the video was criticized, Bianco said his support of Trump was commonly known and that his message in the video was about what he called the left’s hypocrisy. He said the left used Trump’s trial for political purposes.