Riverside County Sheriff and Republican gubernatorial candidate Chad Bianco slammed California Democrat policies as “indefensible” while pointing to polling showing GOP challengers leading in the state’s 2026 governor race. The comments come amid frustration among Democrats that their crowded field could split votes under California’s jungle primary system, potentially sending two Republicans to the November general election.
Bianco told Fox News Digital that Democratic leaders are “panicking” over the prospect of losing control in the nation’s most populous state and said voters are rejecting decades of one-party rule in Sacramento. He argued that the struggle among Democrats to consolidate support reflects a broader failure to present policies that have helped Californians. “It’s not because of a lack of a Democrat candidate,” Bianco said. “It’s the lack of a Democrat policy that they can show has helped California.”
Recent polling cited by the New York Post shows former Fox News host Steve Hilton topping the field with 17 percent support, followed by Bianco at 14 percent. Democrat U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell also polled at 14 percent, with former Rep. Katie Porter at 12 percent and billionaire investor Tom Steyer at 9 percent. Under California’s top-two primary system, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party.
Democrats gathered in San Francisco this weekend for their party convention, where candidates addressed activists ahead of the June primary. Some party insiders privately expressed concern that a fragmented field of candidates could pave the way for an unprecedented Republican advance in statewide leadership.
Bianco said the polling trend signals a broader shift in voter sentiment, with Californians seeking “honesty, integrity, transparency, and leadership.” His campaign argues that rising crime, housing affordability challenges, and economic struggles have left many voters dissatisfied with current Democratic governance.
