Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has officially declared his candidacy for governor of California, vowing to bring change and common sense back to Sacramento. During his announcement, Bianco criticized Democratic leadership, blaming them for the state’s rising crime, homelessness crisis, high taxes, and soaring cost of living. He pledged to restore accountability and argued that Californians deserve better than the policies that have led to the state’s decline.
“This is not going to be about party politics, this is going to be about fixing a broken state to make this the state that everyone in the country wants to come to. I’m tired of my friends leaving the state. I’m tired of watching my friend’s kids leave the state. We need to bring them all back with sanity and the promise that California is and once again will be the best state in this country,” Bianco said during his announcement.
With over 30 years in law enforcement, Bianco was first elected Riverside County Sheriff in 2018 with strong support from the deputies’ union. He had previously run in 2014 but was unsuccessful before unseating Sheriff Stan Sniff in his second attempt. As sheriff, Bianco has managed to balance the department’s budget, often returning funds to the county treasury, though spending thresholds have increased each year. Despite his financial management, staffing shortages have continued to constrain operations, including the partial closure of the Benoit Detention Center in Indio.
“Today we fire up the machine that will restore the promise to all Californians that the dream is still alive. As I watched over the past year or so as career politicians, millionaires and billionaires have positioned themselves as the governor-elect position of 2026, I realized that we are blindly continuing down this path of destruction. The same people responsible for the past 20 years of failed government all want the top position,” he stated.
Bianco is currently the highest-paid elected official in Riverside County, earning a total of $593,518 in 2023, according to the California State Controller’s Office. With a tough-on-crime message and a record of fiscal management, he is positioning himself as a law-and-order conservative ready to challenge the Democratic stronghold in California.
