Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has announced his candidacy for California Governor.
Bianco made the announcement Monday morning at an event in Riverside alongside supporters and other elected officials; it was also streamed on his personal Facebook page.
It was speculated for months that the outspoken conservative and longtime supporter of Donald Trump would announce his bid to replace Gavin Newsom as the next Governor of California.
Bianco made national headlines last year when he posted a video of himself in uniform addressing his social media followers in which he said he was tired of the rule of law being ignored by legislators and elected leaders, saying that he was in support of putting a “felon in the White House.“
The video was shared the week after Trump was convicted in the state of New York on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
He continued the video by saying that criminals in California receive preferential treatment, accusing Newsom of having a “love affair” with lawbreakers. He also accused politicians of “slashing” law enforcement budgets, despite his own department budget increasing more than $270 million since 2019 when he was was sworn in.
Bianco concluded the video by stating he was “switching teams,” putting his support behind a convicted felon in Trump, saying “Let’s save this country and make America great again.”
Bianco is among the most notable names to declare for the Governor’s Office in 2026, joining current Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris has not publicly expressed interest in the position, but a recent Nexstar Media poll from Emerson College found she would have overwhelming support from registered Democrats in the state.
Bianco is among the most high-profile Republicans to throw their hat in the ring. A Republican has not occupied the Governor’s Mansion since Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006, and the party has not had a member in statewide office since 2011.
