In my previous article, I outlined a possible, credible pathway for California Republicans to take back the governor's mansion after sixteen years. With the right conditions and political ground game, especially with a disparate Democratic electorate divided among multiple high-profile nominees, the Republicans could flip legislative seats and other statewide offices this year.
Now, I want to focus on which of the two top Republican contenders should be the next governor, assuming that the beneficial projections are correct. The two main candidates in the competition are Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News anchor and writer Steve Hilton. Both of them have Trump leanings and Trump connections. Neither of them is ashamed to say the word “conservative” or to talk about conservative policies. This distinction matters because prior California Republican gubernatorial candidates advertised their liberalism (Meg Whitman, Neel Kashkari) or said very little on the campaign trail (John Cox and Brian Dahle).
Beyond those categories, there are considerable divergences as far as campaign, record, rhetoric, and resumé.
Sheriff Chad Bianco has been twice elected in a blue county. Granted, Trump finally won Riverside County in 2024, and he had lost the county by close margins in the previous two elections—but the current Congressional delegation is almost entirely blue, and the state legislative seats are Democratic, too, so Republican Bianco’s victories are significant. Not only that, but in 2018, Bianco defeated a RINO twenty-year incumbent with a history of misconduct. The previous sheriff also refused to issue concealed-carry weapons permits. In contrast, he opened up a one-stop shop for residents to obtain their permits, a risky move in a very gun-averse state like California. Bianco basically made Riverside a shall-issue county, while the rest of the state’s sheriffs operated under may-issue guidelines—and all of this before the Bruen ruling from the United States Supreme Court. He's also a strong supporter of freedom of speech; he's not afraid to show his faith in public, and he is not afraid to fight crime and stand up to corruption while cutting costs.
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In 2020, Bianco took a celebrated stance against Governor Gavin Newsom’s health tyranny, refusing to enforce the lockdown orders and mask mandates. He released a bold video declaring his refusal to comply with the Governor’s unconstitutional dictates. He even submitted to an interview with Reason Magazine, explaining why he refused to dictate health choices to individual citizens. He recognized the rights of individuals to take care of themselves.
Steve Hilton is a unique character in his own right. He worked for the Tory government when Prime Minister David Cameron took back Westminster Hall from the Labor Party in 2010. He helped enact some of the most aggressive cost-cutting and bureaucratic reductions in British history. He also helped campaign for Brexit in 2016, even when his former boss David Cameron supported the Remain campaign. Since that time, Steve Hilton has served as a news anchor, a frequent speaker, and he's written books, including a unique take on Trump’s brand of politics called Positive Populism. He’s articulate, well-researched, and personable, too.
Now, let’s talk about their issues.
Bianco has bothered his detractors because of the steps he took to placate and diffuse a very contentious protest in downtown Riverside County at the height of the George Floyd riots. He agreed to kneel with Black Lives Matter and pray with them to diffuse tensions. Many of his critics have pointed out this and said that he was kowtowing to Black Lives Matter, agreeing with their mission and ideology. Other critics have pointed out problems in the Riverside County jails, citing some deaths among the inmate populations. Some of the voters I've spoken with in Riverside County are rejecting him because of issues in the foster care system in Riverside County, and they put a lot of the blame on the sheriff. There was also an incident at the Coachella rally where President Trump was campaigning, and a man approached with a firearm in his trunk. There were concerns that the sheriff did not handle that situation properly, since the man with the gun was not seeking to hurt anybody and is, in fact, an outspoken Trump supporter.
What about Steve Hilton’s issues? While he was assisting the newly-elected Tories in their cost-cutting efforts, he convinced them to buy into left-wing social views. He basically shifted the conservative party to the left on abortion, gay marriage, and climate change, and he still holds those liberal views today. Hilton’s OK with men in dresses, too.
Under the Tories’ tenure, immigration went from bad to worse. Prime Minister Cameron promised to stem the flow but oversaw a rapid expansion of legal (and illegal) immigration into the country. Subsequent Tory governments followed suit. Today, Tories are not just in the political wilderness against an unpopular Labour government, but Nigel Farage’s insurgent Reform Party is poaching disgruntled Tory members and beating them in key constituencies. Hilton’s Tory legacy is not much to brag about, although you can’t blame him entirely.
Even though Hilton served in government and has extensive political experience, he has never been elected to office, especially in the United States. He only recently renounced his United Kingdom citizenship. Whatever happened to America First?
Based on these differences and detractions, which candidate should voters choose to support in the June primary? They need to choose the campaign that focuses on realistic solutions, including massive deregulation and cost-cutting measures. Voters should go with the candidate with a broad commitment to law enforcement, as public safety remains a signature issue for California voters. No matter how woke or wacky the state may have gotten, there is now a growing need and craving for law and order across the state.
Which candidates have received widespread endorsements from elected officials across the state? Which candidate can get Democrats and Independents, as well as Republicans, to vote for him in the general election?
At a recent debate in Garden Grove, California, Sheriff Bianco outlined clear policy positions and defended his record. Steve Hilton basically agreed with many of the sheriff's ideas, and he stated that he wouldn't question the decision-making or discretion of a law enforcement officer. Hilton is polished in his presentation. Bianco has a resume.
They are both not afraid to speak their mind. They can lighten up a room. But will California voters elect a Fox News host or a Sheriff as their next governor? Even if the state is tilting a little more towards common sense, they're not that sensible yet. Whether any California conservative wants to admit it or not, California is still two-to-one Democratic based on voter registration. That doesn't mean a Republican can't get elected. Massachusetts and Maryland have three-to-one and four-to-one Democratic registrations respectively, yet Republican governors have been elected in those states. Even now, there is a Republican governor, and a Republican lieutenant governor just got elected in deep blue Vermont!
It’s California's turn to elect a Republican governor, and either Sheriff Bianco or Mr. Hilton would be the perfect man for the job. Whether both force out the Democrats, or if only one makes it, I will vote for him, since any Republican is better than another ruinous Democrat.
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