Riverside County sheriff announces candidacy for California governor, marking the first significant Republican contender.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — On Monday, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco announced his candidacy for California governor in the 2026 elections, marking him as the first prominent Republican to declare for the race two years ahead. Bianco, a vocal advocate for former President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies, was first elected as sheriff in 2018 and has amassed over three decades of experience in law enforcement. His entry into the gubernatorial race comes as the Republican Party seeks a viable candidate to challenge Governor Gavin Newsom.

In his campaign kickoff in downtown Riverside, Bianco criticized Democratic leadership, asserting that their policies have exacerbated the issues of homelessness and housing affordability plaguing California. He stated, “It is only our Democrat elected officials who are responsible for the decline of California. What is it they have given us? Rampant crime, higher taxes, the highest cost of living in our nation, tent encampments in every major city, more fentanyl deaths, catastrophic fires, a broken home insurance market, and people across our state are struggling to afford groceries and gas. Californians deserve better.”

Positioning himself as a law-and-order conservative, Bianco aims to unite constituents around his vision for a better California, steering clear of the traditional Republican-Democrat divide. “We will take our message of restoring sanity to every corner of our beautiful state,” he declared.

Among the Democratic contenders for governor are former Los Angeles Mayor and Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, former state Controller Betty Yee, and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. Notably, polling conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California suggests that former Vice President Kamala Harris would be a formidable candidate if she chooses to enter the race, although she has yet to reveal her intentions.

The contest to succeed Newsom, who will reach his term limit in 2027, is anticipated to be a highly competitive affair among Democrats. It promises to attract some of the party’s most prominent figures, vying for leadership of the most populous state in the U.S. and the world’s fifth-largest economy.