The Sheriff Who’s Ready to Change California

Since November, how often have you thought about the 2026 midterm election? I would guess you probably aren’t thinking much about it! After all, we just had a major election less than six months ago and we’re adjusting to a new Presidential Administration. There is so much going on in the news cycle, and in our state. Why in the world would we spend our time thinking about California’s election for Governor that still is over a year and a half away?

THAT is a great question, and I would love to answer that, because I want to convince you that you should be thinking about the Governor’s Race, that you should be evaluating candidates, and that we should be rallying around conservatives in the race now, as opposed to only taking interest a few months before the election.

The State of the 2026 California Gubernatorial Race

What is the current state of the Governor’s race? It might surprise you to learn that there are already multiple candidates who have announced they are running for Governor! Some of these people announced their campaigns as far back as 2023, so this has been going on for several years already.

Who is in the race so far? The race currently consists mostly of Democrat candidates.

The first candidate to announce she was running was Eleni Kounalakis, who launched her campaign back in April of 2023.[1] She is the current Lieutenant Governor of California, which is the second-highest position in the state right after Governor. She positioned herself as the potential first female Governor of the state, but she isn’t the only female in the race. Toni Atkins, the previous leader of the state Senate, announced her run in January 2024 – and she would not only be the first female Governor, but also the first openly LGTBQ Governor.[2] Then, three months after Atkins’ announcement, Betty Yee announced her run as well. She is the former Controller for the state government and is running on her history of fiscal leadership.[3]

Tony Thurmond, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, joined the race in September of 2023. His stated priorities are to raise minimum wage, expand affordable housing, and fully fund public schools.[4] Then there’s 71-year-old Antonio Villaraigosa, who was mayor of Los Angeles from 2005 to 2013. He announced his run for Governor in July of last year.[5]

Outside of the candidates who have announced their campaigns, there are also several Democratic contenders who are expected to announce at some point but are yet to formalize if they are running or not. One of those was Rob Bonta, California’s Attorney General. I say was because there had been speculation around his run since 2023 when he said he was seriously considering it, but just last month he announced that he has decided not to run after all.[6] So, he is out, but then there is Katie Porter, who also has not announced her run for Governor, yet is polling as a serious option for many Democrat voters. Porter was a member of Congress from 2019 to 2025, and in the 2024 election she ran to replace Diane Feinstein in the Senate but lost to Adam Schiff.[7] She hasn’t announced because she is waiting to see if another potential candidate and frontrunner will announce, and that brings us to Kamala Harris.

The biggest question on the minds of voters who are thinking about the race this early is if the former Vice President will run for Governor of the state she served from 2004 to 2021, or if she will go again for another Presidential Run in 2028. Whether or not she enters the race will drastically change the landscape of candidate popularity. An Emerson College poll from February of this year shows that if Porter runs but Harris does not, Democrat primary voters are polling 21% for Katie Porter, 9% for Villaraigosa, and 5% for Kounalakis, with the rest undecided. But if Harris joins the race, that shifts to 57% support for her, with only 17% of voters undecided and the other candidates trailing far behind.[8]

So those are all the Democrat candidates in the race. Are there any conservatives who are going to challenge them? That brings us to some incredibly exciting news, because the latest candidate to announce his run for Governor of California is Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. He launched his campaign on February 17th, making him the first prominent conservative to enter the race.[9] The speech he made when announcing his campaign offered a lot of hope to conservatives who agree with the points he raised about the challenges California is facing and the ways our current government leaders have failed us.

Personal History

Who is Chad Bianco? Bianco is originally from Utah, but he moved to Southern California in 1989 to attend the San Bernardino’s Sheriff Academy. After graduation, he began his career in law enforcement in the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.[10] In 2018, after over 20 years in law enforcement, Bianco was elected by voters to be the Sheriff of Riverside County. He defeated the 10-year incumbent, Stan Sniff, by a 58% majority. He seems to have been a success, because he was easily reelected in 2022 by nearly 60% of the votes.[11] On a personal note, he has a wife, four children, four grandchildren, and actively participates in his local church.[12]

Bianco in the Media

Chad Bianco is being touted as the most prominent conservative in the race, and most likely to be able to consolidate votes against his Democrat opponents, and that is because he has made quite a splash in the media over the past few years.

Going back to the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sheriff Bianco announced on December 4, 2020, that his office would not be enforcing Governor Newsom’s stay-at-home order. In a video that originally made him as well-known as he is today, he made clear that COVID-19 is a real virus, but that relatively healthy people should not live in fear and that his deputies would not punish business owners who continued to operate or those who refused to wear masks. He went a step further and accused Gavin Newsom of trying to strongarm counties into enforcing the order, saying, “Leaders do not threaten, attempt to intimidate, or cause fear. Bullies do.”[13]

It's no surprise then that in 2024, Bianco publicly announced his support for Donald Trump leading up to the Presidential Election. He made waves when he posted a video saying, “I think it's time we put a felon in the White House. Trump 2024, baby. Let's save this country and make America great again.''[14]

Most recently he has made known his opposition to California’s sanctuary state laws. He has called for the abolition of Senate Bill 54 – the California Values Act – that limits local law enforcement’s ability to support federal immigration enforcement.[15]

What are his reasons for running for Governor? It’s pretty self-explanatory: he sees the problems that our state is facing as the direct result of poor governance and seeks to undue decades of bad policy decisions that have harmed Californians. Listen to what he said in his campaign launch:

“I came to California in 1989 in search of the California Dream. I got a job, I bought a house, I married a beauty queen, and I raised a family. Unfortunately for my kids, destructive policies, legal agendas, government overreach and regulation, radical activism and special interests have turned the California dream into a nightmare for millions of Californians. Today, we fire up the machine that will restore the promise to all Californians that the dream is still alive.”[16]

The Importance of Candidate Policy Positions

The most important thing to know about any candidate for Governor is what kind of policies they promise to enact, and what steps they plan to take to address the issues that are most prominent across our state. If a candidate doesn’t have a detailed plan, or if they can’t outline their policy positions – then that is a huge problem. If you are going to vote someone into an office where they are supposed to represent your interests, then you have to know where they stand on the topics you are interested in. If they can’t articulate that, then you can’t be assured that they will govern in the way you want. How then could you vote for them? You can’t! It’s super important to make sure whoever you vote for can clearly detail not just the problems with our state, but real solutions, legislation, and policies.

Then, you have to evaluate if the policies they outline will realistically address our state’s problems, and if they are in line with your values. So, that is why I say the most important thing we could discuss about Sheriff Bianco is not his background or personal life, it’s not even his recent track record of endorsing Trump or opposing authoritarian COVID-19 restrictions. The most important thing about Chad Bianco is how he will govern. Which means we have to examine first if he has policy positions, and second if those policy positions are good.

I want to emphasize this early on because over the next two years, we will likely see a lot thrown around in the news about the lives of candidates. We’ve seen this especially with conservative candidates. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see several attempts to discredit any conservative in the race. So, we need to keep the main thing the main thing – we need to focus on how candidates will govern and how that will affect our state first and foremost, and not get distracted or bogged down in the mudslinging and downright gossip that takes place around elections.

To that end, let’s go through what California voters name as the state issues most important to them and see if or what Bianco has promised to do about them.

Bianco’s Policy Positions

The first is cost of living in California. Twenty-four (24) percent of Californians name this as the most important issue to be addressed over the next few years.[17] Bianco mentioned this in his speech, saying, “The California dream is no longer attainable because of government regulation [and] high taxes. It truly is a shame what is happening.”[18]

One piece of cost of living in California that Bianco mentions is taxes. Realistically, this is a massive burden to the people living in our state. California is ranked fifth in terms of overall tax burden by state, coming behind New York, Hawaii, Vermont, and Maine. We are ranked number one for the highest individual income tax burden.[19] It seems that the public is aware of this too, with 70% of California residents reporting that they believe they pay too much in state and local taxes.[20] Lowering the individual tax burden could go a long way in providing greater affordability to families. Small businesses are also affected by taxes because their owners will file as individuals. This means a high personal income tax, which is up to 13.3% in our state currently, negatively impacts small businesses as well as individuals, and lowering those taxes could help with that.[21] But it isn’t just small businesses, lowering taxes and regulations on larger businesses could make California a much friendlier state to commerce overall. Our corporate tax rate is also one of the highest in the country, at 8.84%.[22] These are tangible aspects of life that could be changed based on the policies enacted by our government leadership.

What has Bianco promised to do about taxes? He takes a classic conservative view on economic policy, promising to cut taxes on individuals and reduce regulation to support businesses.[23] This would be incredible for those of us who watch so much of our income disappear each pay period.

Another area of the economy that adds to a high cost of living in California is the price of gas. California consistently has some of the highest gas prices across the country. Just a few years ago, we still came in behind states like Hawaii or Washington, but in 2025 we are officially the state with the most expensive gas prices. The average across the state is $4.85 per gallon.[24] Why is gas so expensive here? The main factors in its cost are supply, regulation, and once again taxation.

California regulation requires our state to burn a very specific blend that is supposed to emit fewer greenhouse gases than other fuels. The problem is that there are only 11 major refineries that produce the type of gas that meets our state’s environmental standards. This creates a supply issue. If one of those refineries stops producing the volume needed, this reduces supply of gasoline, making California vulnerable to major price swings. Meanwhile, California has vast oil reserves, especially in Kern County, but there are strict limitations on drilling. Our state imports more oil than it produces, meaning that “of the 1.8 million barrels of oil we consume each day, fewer than 400,000 are produced in-state.”[25] Expanding the ability to utilize our resources and lift some of the regulations that make producing our special gasoline more expensive could significantly lower prices.

Additionally, in California there are excise taxes and sales taxes on gasoline. We’re one of the only states with sales tax on gas, which contributes to why it’s more expensive here than other places.[26] The excise tax is currently $0.60 cents per gallon, the state sales tax is an additional 2.25%, and the federal excise tax is 18.4 cents per gallon, bringing the total taxes on every gallon of gas in California to around $0.81 cents.[27] Compare that to other states, like Texas, and it’s insane how much we’re being charged on top of market prices. Texas levies a $0.20 cent tax per gallon,[28] meaning that with the federal tax, the total additional fees to gas prices are under $0.40 cents. This is less than half of the gas taxes in our state!

Bianco has addressed these issues head on. He vows to utilize California’s energy resources to help lower the price of gas. This would be huge for increasing affordability of living here.  

That is the overall economy, but a big part of cost of living here is the cost of housing. Fourteen percent of Californians named this as the most pressing issue facing our state.[29] California’s key issue with housing is a severe lack of supply. There are more people who want to live here than housing for them all! The basic laws of supply and demand mean that this will result in higher housing prices. But why is housing so undersupplied in our state? Because state regulations and policies make it really expensive to develop housing units here! Regulations like CEQA – the California Environmental Quality Act – dictates down to the materials builders have to use – materials that are expensive. If we could cut a lot of these regulations and make the approval process faster, this would go such a long way toward ramping up housing supply to actually meet demand, thus driving down the costs of housing. You’ll remember that a few articles ago we talked through the housing development process, and I went through how in California it can take between seven and ten years to actually build housing here. Other states don’t have that problem. States like Arizona and Texas take literally half the time. There’s no reason the process should be so slow and bottlenecked in our state. It’s all just a matter of good versus bad policy.

What is Bianco’s plan for lowering the cost of housing? It's basically everything I’ve advocated for: expediting building project approvals to increase supply, eliminating burdensome regulations like CEQA, incentivizing development, and increasing competition in the development world so that the market drives down housing prices naturally.[30] Bianco wants to cut the red tape, eliminate regulations, and make room for more housing in the state – that sounds like a great plan to me!

The next issue that 13% of Californians identified as a main problem are environmental factors like water supply and fire prevention.[31] These are super important topics! It’s good that Californians want their leadership to address them head on and make changes to the current policies we have in place – which clearly just aren’t working as we saw with the recent fires.

Let’s start with Bianco’s policies on water supply. He first wants to ensure that farmers have the water allocations they need. When it comes to water, typically the state will manage a system to grant certain individuals, like farmers, rights based on permits or licenses to use a specific amount of water for agricultural or industrial use.[32] This is done through the state water board. The 2025 Central Valley Project allocation was announced in February, outlining an allocation to farmers of just 35%.[33] If that seems low, it’s because it is. Before strict water regulations were put in place, farmers could receive upwards of 75% of requested water allocation.[34] But in recent years, over 50% of water has been put toward environmental purposes, like maintaining rivers and wetlands to protect endangered species.[35] The Public Policy Institute of California conducted a study back in 2015 that found that California’s system of water allocation was “fragmented, inconsistent, and lacking in transparency and clear lines of authority.”[36]

Part of this is due to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, passed in 2014. This limited how much groundwater farmers could pump from wells.[37] This has led to water shortages across the state, as well as extra expenses for farmers to purchase water from other sources. Large farms can often afford to buy more water rights or import water from other places, but this disproportionately impacts small, family-run farms who don’t have the same funds.[38]

What Bianco is outlining is to roll back some of the regulations under the SGMA and give farmers more priority when it comes to water allocation and pumping of groundwater. Which should be fairly easy to do if we deprioritize some of the environmental uses of water, like maintaining wetlands for specific animal species. It isn’t wrong to want to preserve fish species, and using water for environmental purposes can be a good exercise of environmental stewardship; but, in a state that heavily relies on agriculture, yet is prone to drought, we must exercise wisdom when it comes to where the water goes first. Water should be going to farmers to help them maintain their farms; anything left over can then be split among environmental projects. By prioritizing fish, we have actually harmed real people, real farmers, and created incentive for big farms with potentially more questionable ethics or farming practices to monopolize our state, while preventing local farmers from having equal opportunity in the market. It’s a great first step to reprioritize local farmers.

Then, Bianco supports making bigger investments in water infrastructure than we have in past decades. He wants to do this by constructing new above-ground water storage, expediting the construction of new reservoirs, and modernizing the water infrastructure that has been neglected for decades.[39]

These are also good priorities, because as it stands, we don’t properly store our rainwater during years of heavy rainfall. According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, in January of 2023, when flooding was strong across California due to atmospheric rivers, 95% of the rainwater that came in to California’s dams was pushed back out to the Pacific Ocean.[40] Not only did we dump valuable rainwater back into the ocean – as a state we also shut down and deconstructed several dams across Northern and Southern California, limiting water storage. Gavin Newsom supported the removal of these dams in the interest of Native American tribes, river restoration, and the health of salmon.[41] He also supported and approved of the removal of an additional four dams along the California-Oregon border earlier in the year.[42]

Bianco promises to expand our water storage capabilities through new water projects, specifically by expediting the completion of the Sites Reservoir, which was a project started in 2010 to store 1.5 million acre-feet of water yet is still in the early stages of construction and funding.[43] This is exactly what conservatives have been calling for for years. This would drastically change the water landscape in our state and would set us up for success in the future!

What about fire prevention? Bianco also addresses a plan for better emergency prevention and response. He advocates for active forest management, controlled burns, and expanding firebreaks – which is land that naturally stops the spread of wildfires.[44] How does he plan to do these things? Once again, by deregulating forest management so that it isn’t hindered by regulation. Gavin Newsom likes to say that he prioritizes clearing out brush and trees, but under CEQA and several other environmental laws that he supports extensive reviews have to be conducted before thinning can begin – which delays the process by years. Bianco is looking to reduce regulation where he can, to ensure that the forest management we are promised will happen. For firefighting specifically, he discusses investing in new technology, wildfire planning, and increasing personnel. These are all things that we, again, saw needed to be prioritized when the most recent wildfires broke out.

Another issue mentioned by voters was homelessness.[45] California alone accounts for 30% of the entire homeless population across the entire country, making us once again number one compared to all other states. Our homeless population increased by 22% from 2018 to 2023 alone.[46] This is a widespread problem, as anyone who lives near a city knows. All it takes is driving through the San Fernando Valley, or the suburbs of any major city to see homeless encampments lining the sidewalks. Sadly, about 35% of all homeless in California are chronically homeless[47] – which means that a third of the people living on the street have been in those circumstances for several years, likely because of drug use, mental health issues, or disabilities.

What has Governor Newsom tried to do about homelessness? Newsom passed a $12 billion initiative to combat homelessness in 2021,[48] and in total he has spent over $20 billion on the issue during his time in office.[49] One of the main components of this initiative was repurposing hotels and other properties into housing for homeless people, known as Project Homekey.[50] I would imagine that if you’ve spent $20 billion, that homelessness is solved, right? Wrong! An audit of the homelessness program was conducted in April of 2024, and it revealed how ineffective it has been. Read some of the report findings:

“The state lacks current information on the ongoing costs and outcomes of its homelessness programs, because (the council) has not consistently tracked and evaluated the state’s efforts to prevent and end homelessness.”[51]

The audit points out that there is no evidence of where the funding has gone and how it has been spent. There is also no evidence of any positive outcomes from the program. Without evidence, there is no accountability, there’s no explanation of how they are spending literally billions of taxpayer dollars. Anyone with eyes can see the homeless problem has not improved, and clearly all the money has been irresponsibly wasted.

Listen to what Bianco has to say on the problem:

“While there are certainly Californians who find themselves in hard times and without a home, the problem we see on a daily basis has been completely caused by our politicians and a failed social experiment. The decriminalization of drugs, combined with nationwide mental health crisis, and home unaffordability, has caused California to hold the title of the worst homeless crisis in America.  California’s elected officials created a problem and are doing everything in their power to not solve it. In the last five years, California has spent $24 Billion on homelessness.  During that same time, California’s unhoused population grew by 30,000 people. Even worse, state leadership cannot track where the money went… It is time for a leader with the ability and desire to clean up their mess.”[52]

First, Bianco proposes addressing the drug addiction and mental health problem that is on the rise in our state. One way to do this is to introduce legislation to allow forced treatment when necessary.[53] This, to me, makes so much sense. If someone is addicted to drugs, or has a severe mental health problem, they are not willing to seek help. They don’t see that they have a problem; or, even if they can acknowledge they have a problem, they clearly are not able to solve the problem on their own and need help. This could remove them from immediate harm, prevent overdose deaths or suicide, and get them off the street.

Bianco also calls for accountability for how taxpayer money is spent on homelessness reduction programs. He outlines that there should be a “full audit of every entity receiving taxpayer money to ensure that money is actually being spent on those who are homeless and homelessness prevention.”[54] Then, he proposes that state funding will be prioritized to programs that are actually proven to be effective. I could not agree more. It should be a requirement for the government to be transparent with us about where our money is going and what outcomes it is achieving.

Let’s do a flyover of a few other major topics.

Public safety: Obviously coming from a law enforcement background and having been Sheriff for the past 7 years, Bianco is tough on crime and public safety. He was a driving voice behind the passage of Proposition 36 in the state, which voters passed with 70% majority. He wants to prioritize law enforcement staffing, defend the police from defunding initiatives, and strengthen penalties on repeat offenders. I cannot stress how critical this is in our state. The public wants to feel safer, it’s why such an overwhelming percentage of voters voted in favor of Prop. 36. We need a Governor who will support our police departments and not undermine them; that is something that Bianco understands firsthand.

Education: Bianco promotes prioritizing fundamental skills in our public schools and supporting technical programs to give students real world skills. He also wants to expand access to charter schools across the state to give families options outside of public schools, which I have written about before and am in favor of. My favorite campaign promise of his is his pledge to repeal Assembly Bill 1955. AB 1955 is a bill in our state that strips parental rights away from parents of students who desire to change their names, pronouns, and gender identity at school, and it’s a wicked policy that must be overturned. I cannot express enough how much I love that he knows about this bill, that he points it out as part of his campaign, and that he would work to restore parental rights in public schools.[55]

Last but not least, regarding transportation, Bianco has promised to cancel the high-speed rail project, conduct a full audit on where the funds have gone, and pour remaining funds back into necessary infrastructure projects like freeway expansions. I think you all know how I feel about those ideas!

To summarize, Bianco has clearly outlined not just the issues facing our state that he wants to address, but how he will address them. And, as we’ve looked at, they are policy positions that I believe will be far more effective than what we currently have in place. Reducing taxes, increasing oil production, increasing housing supply, prioritizing farmers in the water supply, addressing the homelessness issue head on, supporting police officers, bringing parental rights back in the classroom, and reducing the waste and fraud currently in our government, as is exemplified with the high-speed rail, are all policy positions that I would just be over the moon if we could enact in our state. He has solid plans for restoring California to the great state it once was and could be.

Why Should We Care Now?

All of that might sound wonderful to you if you are a conservative in California, fed up with the liberal policies we see destroying our beautiful state daily. But you could also be wondering 1) if it really matters in our deep blue state, and 2) why we should care so early on. I want to address both of those questions.

First, does it really matter? California, after all, has a supermajority of Democrats in the Legislature, and we haven’t elected a Republican governor since 2006. What chances does someone like Chad Bianco really have? I want to remind you that no matter the odds, it always matters.

Just because our state has historically been liberal, and even if the majority is still voting that way, doesn’t mean that we give up on being informed and informing others. Perspectives change, people change, and politics change. Californians need to know why the policies in place aren’t working. They need to know why cost of living is high, why crime is a major concern, why we’ve ended the past few years with giant budget deficits, why homelessness isn’t improving, why gas prices are higher than the rest of the country, and what can be done about all of those things. So, regardless of how the majority has voted or continues to vote, that doesn’t change the facts on the ground, it doesn’t change the real implications of the legislation and policies passed by our legislature, and it shouldn’t change our commitment to help others know the truth. Time and truth go hand in hand, meaning that the truth cannot stay covered forever. It may take time, but the longer that harmful policies are in place, the easier they are to expose.

We’re already seeing this shift. In the 2024 election, Republicans made notable gains in our legislature. We flipped three previously Democrat seats – one in the Senate and two in the Assembly.[56] Does that seem small right now? Sure. But small progress adds up over time to make big changes. We can’t be discouraged that only three seats shifted, we have to be encouraged those three whole seats shifted in a largely liberal state! The people want different leadership, and it's showing.

That’s not even all, because also in this last election every county in the Bay Area, the most liberal part of California, saw higher percentages of votes for President Trump compared to the 2020 election.[57] Republicans living in these predominantly liberal areas are feeling emboldened to make their voices heard and vote for the change they want to see. That is great news, and we should be building on that momentum to keep the pendulum swinging toward conservative values!

Another ten counties across other parts of the state didn’t just have a higher percentage vote for Trump, but they actually flipped the vote from Biden in 2020 to Trump in 2024.[58] THAT is huge! That is what small change, baby steps forward over time, has the power to do when we don’t give up! The reasons reported for the change were largely the issues we talked about today – one of the main ones being cost of living. And that really is key – because what changes public opinion is showing them reality. If people can see firsthand the effects that the people and policies they vote for have on their lives, and they don’t LIKE those effects, then they will be more open to changing their mind and voting for something different.

So, does it really matter? Yes. It always matters, no matter if your state is conservative, a swing state, or if it’s deeply blue. It always matters because the truth always matters, and we can’t give up on the truth.

Then just practically, what are the odds for Bianco? Well, the good news is that he’s fairly popular already among conservatives because of all the stances he’s taken on COVID, Trump, and immigration. The strategy moving forward is for him to consolidate the base, get all the conservatives in California behind him, so that he can make it to the general election. The primary system in California is a top-two system, meaning that political party doesn’t matter. The top two candidates in the primary will be the candidates on the ballot in the general election. But we just saw that the field is split among a ton of Democrats, so that could be really good news for Bianco. If Democrat voters all split up, but conservative voters unite behind one candidate, then there’s a good chance Bianco could make the top two in the primary and land on your ballot in November for the tougher fight.

Lastly, why should we care this early? Well, simply because the more time we have to get his political agenda out there and rally support, the better! We can’t get complacent, the primary will be here before we know it, and then it will be practically too late to change enough voters’ minds about their political positions. We must work NOW to expose all the crazy things our legislature and our Governor are doing and show the people of California why they simply don’t work. You have the time now to research candidates’ positions, and I would encourage you to do that. We looked pretty thoroughly at Bianco’s stances but compare them to other candidates. See how they are similar, or more likely how they are completely opposite, and then be ready to engage in conversations around you about politics to share your perspective on who the best candidate is and why.

For my fellow Christians, we need to be praying for our state, for the candidates in the race, and for our future governor. Pray that massive change would ignite and carry through to the next election, for opportunities for YOU to make change through conversations and the influence you have in the community around you. Pray for the end of wickedness, of lying to the public, or misuse of money, of harm to women and children, and of bad policies that promote what is wrong. Pray for what is good to prevail.

Real change starts with you. Let’s get to work.

References:

[1] Mehta, Seema. “Eleni Kounalakis Announces Early Bid for California Governor - Los Angeles Times.” Los Angeles Times, April 24, 2023. https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-04-24/lt-gov-eleni-kounalakis-2026-governors-race.

[2] Pedroncelli, Rich. “California Senate Leader Toni Atkins Announces Run for Governor in 2026.” NBC News, January 20, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/california-senate-leader-toni-atkins-announces-run-governor-2026-rcna134850.

[3] Luna, Taryn. “Betty Yee Officially Enters 2026 California Governor’s Race - Los Angeles Times.” Los Angeles Times, March 28, 2024. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-27/2026-california-governor-election-betty-yee-announcement.

[4] Flores, Hilda. “California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Officially Announces Run for Governor.” KCRA, September 26, 2023. https://www.kcra.com/article/state-superintendent-tony-thurmond-officially-announces-run-governor/45322329.

[5] Nelson, Laura J. “Antonio Villaraigosa Announces Another Run for California Governor - Los Angeles Times.” Los Angeles Times, July 24, 2024. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-07-23/former-l-a-mayor-antonio-villaraigosa-announces-another-run-for-california-governor.

[6] Ayestas, Jonathan. “California AG Rob Bonta Will Stay Out of the Governor’s Race and Seek Re-election.” KCRA, February 10, 2025. https://www.kcra.com/article/california-rob-bonta-no-run-for-governor/63676591.

[7] Kang, Hanna. “For Katie Porter, President Trump’s Second Term Is a Factor as She Weighs a Governor Run.” Orange County Register, March 1, 2025. https://www.ocregister.com/2025/03/01/for-katie-porter-president-trumps-second-term-is-a-factor-as-she-weighs-a-governor-run/.

[8] Mumford, Camille. “February 2025 California Poll: Kamala Harris Emerges as Democratic Frontrunner for Governor.” Emerson Polling, February 13, 2025. https://emersoncollegepolling.com/february-2025-california-poll-kamala-harris-emerges-as-democratic-frontrunner-for-governor/.

[9] Nixon, Nicole. “Riverside Sheriff Joins California Governor’s Race as First Major Republican Candidate.” The Sacramento Bee, February 18, 2025. https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article300504024.html.

[10] “Chad Bianco for Sheriff 2022 | About,” n.d. https://chadbiancoforsheriff.com/about/

[11] Ballotpedia. “Chad Bianco - Ballotpedia,” n.d. https://ballotpedia.org/Chad_Bianco.

[12] “Chad Bianco for Sheriff 2022 | About.”

[13] Horseman, Jeff. “Video of Calif. Sheriff Chad Bianco’s Refusal to Enforce COVID Orders Gets National Attention.” Police1, December 20, 2020. https://www.police1.com/coronavirus-covid-19/articles/video-of-calif-sheriff-chad-biancos-refusal-to-enforce-covid-orders-gets-national-attention-2hmkNIYo1AbIkuGM/.

[14] City News Service. “‘Put a Felon in the White House.’ Riverside County Sheriff Backs Trump.” NBC Los Angeles, June 4, 2024. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/riverside-county-sheriff-chad-bianco-support-trump/3427402/.

[15] Norman, Nicole. “MAGA Sheriff Running for CA Governor Vows to End ‘Sanctuary’ Laws.” Politico, February 17, 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/17/california-end-sanctuary-law-trump-00204600.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Baldassare, Mark, Dean Bonner, Lauren Mora, and Deja Thomas. “PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government.” Public Policy Institute of California, February 2025. https://www.ppic.org/publication/ppic-statewide-survey-californians-and-their-government-february-2025/.

[18] Fox 40. “Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco on Why He’s Running for California Governor,” February 22, 2025. https://fox40.com/inside-california-politics/riverside-county-sheriff-chad-bianco-republican-to-announce-2026-gubernatorial-campaign/.

[19] Treadway, Clint. “How The 50 States Rank by Tax Burden.” CPA Practice Advisor, January 24, 2025. https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2024/12/01/how-the-50-states-rank-by-tax-burden/103495/#:~:text=California%20has%20the%20highest%20individual,than%20blue%20states%2C%20on%20average.

[20] Lawler, Rachel. “Most Californians Believe They Are Overtaxed by an Unfair System.” Public Policy Institute of California, April 18, 2023. https://www.ppic.org/blog/most-californians-believe-they-are-overtaxed-by-an-unfair-system/.

[21] TurboTaxBlogTeam. “California State Income Tax in 2025: A Guide.” Blog, February 24, 2025. https://blog.turbotax.intuit.com/income-tax-by-state/california-105369/.

[22] Zaryzcki, Nick. “The Small Business Owner’s Guide to California State Taxes.” Bench Accounting (blog), May 27, 2024. https://www.bench.co/blog/tax-tips/california-state-taxes#:~:text=No%20business%20taxes-,California%20corporate%20taxes,(AMT)%20of%206.65%25.

[23] Wilson, Tori. “Affordability and Taxes | Bianco for Governor 2026.” Bianco for Governor 2026, February 25, 2025. https://biancoforgovernor.com/affordability-and-taxes/.

[24] Davis, Maggie. “US Gas Prices Decrease by as Much as 10% — See Where Your State Stacks Up.” LendingTree, February 24, 2025. https://www.lendingtree.com/credit-cards/study/us-gas-prices/.

[25] Fong, Vince, and Carlos Villapadua. “Californians Should Look to California for Its Oil.” CalMatters, April 24, 2022. https://calmatters.org/commentary/2022/04/californians-should-look-to-california-for-its-oil/.

[26] Delouya, Samantha. “Here’s Why Gas Always Costs More in California.” CNN, January 27, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/27/business/why-does-gas-cost-more-in-california/index.html.

[27] Dean, Monica. “California Gas Tax Goes up on July 1. Here’s How Much You’re Paying.” NBC 7 San Diego, July 2, 2024. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/california-gas-tax-goes-up-on-july-1-heres-how-much-youre-paying/3555332/#:~:text=Now%2C%20the%20state's%20gas%20tax,currently%20sits%20at%2018%20cents.

[28] Hoffer, Adam. “2024 State Gas Tax Rates | 2024 Gas Taxes by State.” Tax Foundation, September 3, 2024. https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-gas-tax-rates-2024/.

[29] Baldassare et al., “PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government.”

[30] Wilson, Tori. “Housing | Bianco for Governor 2026,” Bianco for Governor 2026, February 25, 2025, https://biancoforgovernor.com/housing/.

[31] Baldassare et al., “PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government.”

[32] State Water Resources Control Board. “The State Water Board Allocates Water,” n.d. https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/about_us/performance_report_0809/allocate/index.shtml#:~:text=The%20State%20Water%20Board%20establishes,and%20the%20environment%20are%20protected.

[33] Nemarich, Kate. “Central Valley Project Releases 2025 Initial Water Allocation.” ABC30 Fresno, February 26, 2025. https://abc30.com/post/central-valley-project-releases-2025-initial-water-allocation/15955702/.

[34] Stern, Charles V., Pervaze A. Sheikh, Erin H. Ward, and Congressional Research Service. “Central Valley Project: Issues and Legislation.” Report, June 26, 2024. http://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R45342.pdf.

[35] Mount, Jeffrey, and Ellen Hanak. “Water Use in California,” May 2019. https://cwc.ca.gov/-/media/CWC-Website/Files/Documents/2019/06_June/June2019_Item_12_Attach_2_PPICFactSheets.pdf.

[36] Gray, Brian, Ellen Hanak, Richard Frank, Richard Howitt, Jay Lund, Leon Szeptycki, Barton Buzz Thompson, and PPIC Water Policy Center. “Allocating California’s Water.” The Public Policy Institute of California. Public Policy Institute of California, November 2015. https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/content/pubs/report/R_1115BGR.pdf.

[37] California Department of Water Resources. “Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA),” n.d. https://water.ca.gov/programs/groundwater-management/sgma-groundwater-management.

[38] Cole, Spencer, Ellen Hanak, and Alvar Escriva-Bou. “How Might Small Farms Fare Under SGMA?” The Public Policy Institute of California, September 13, 2023. https://www.ppic.org/blog/how-might-small-farms-fare-under-sgma/#:~:text=(By%202040%2C%20overall%20farm%20supplies,cropland%20by%20nearly%20900%2C000%20acres.).

[39] Wilson, Tori. “Agriculture and Water | Bianco for Governor 2026,” Bianco for Governor 2026, February 25, 2025, https://biancoforgovernor.com/agriculture-and-water/.

[40] Smith, Hayley. “Anger Flares as California Stormwater Washes Out to Sea - Los Angeles Times.” Los Angeles Times, January 20, 2023. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-20/anger-flares-as-california-stormwater-washes-out-to-sea.

[41] Plachta, Ari. “Newsom Backs 3 Dam Removals on California Rivers. Here’s Where Salmon May Soon Swim Freely.” The Sacramento Bee, April 1, 2024. https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article284875197.html.

[42] James, Ian. “Largest Dam Removal in U.S. History Frees Klamath River - Los Angeles Times.” Los Angeles Times, August 28, 2024. https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-08-28/klamath-river-dam-removal-completed.

[43] Bland, Alastair. “This Reservoir on the Sacramento River Has Been Planned for Decades. What’s Taking so Long?” CalMatters, February 27, 2023. https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/02/california-sites-reservoir/.

[44] Tori Wilson, “Emergency Response | Bianco for Governor 2026,” Bianco for Governor 2026, February 19, 2025, https://biancoforgovernor.com/emergency-response/.

[45] Baldassare et al., “PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government.”

[46] Homeless No More. “How Many Homeless in California: Current Statistics and Solutions,” December 16, 2024. https://homelessnomore.com/how-many-homeless-in-california-current-statistics-and-solutions/#:~:text=Comparison%20with%20California,Homeless%20Services%20Authority%2C%202024).

[47] U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Homelessness in California.” Homelessness in California, December 2023. https://shou.senate.ca.gov/sites/shou.senate.ca.gov/files/Homelessness%20in%20CA%202023%20Numbers%20-%201.2024.pdf.

[48] Warth, Gary. “Gov. Newsom Proposes $12B to House California’s Homeless - Los Angeles Times.” Los Angeles Times, May 12, 2021. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-11/california-governor-proposes-12b-to-house-states-homeless.

[49] Walters, Dan. “California Has Spent Billions on Homelessness but Lacks Hard Data on Outcomes.” CalMatters, September 5, 2024. https://calmatters.org/commentary/2024/09/california-homelessness-lacks-data/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_Yq-BhC9ARIsAA6fbAj31OkQr54KHoywTBN1AmSij6pPP_S-BEN1jyr8asDz9RzB2l4rIX0aAscEEALw_wcB.

[50] “Homekey | California Department of Housing and Community Development,” n.d. https://www.hcd.ca.gov/grants-and-funding/homekey.

[51] Walters, “California Has Spent Billions on Homelessness but Lacks Hard Data on Outcomes,” September 5, 2024.

[52] Wilson, Tori. “Homelessness | Bianco for Governor 2026,” Bianco for Governor 2026, February 25, 2025, https://biancoforgovernor.com/homelessness/.

[53] Wilson, “Homelessness | Bianco for Governor 2026.”

[54] Ibid.

[55] Wilson, Tori. “Education | Bianco for Governor 2026,” Bianco for Governor 2026, February 25, 2025, https://biancoforgovernor.com/education/.

[56] Sabalow, Ryan. “California’s Republican Caucus Is Growing and More Diverse, but It’s a Long Way From Power.” CalMatters, November 27, 2024. https://calmatters.org/politics/2024/11/california-republicans-legislative-diversity/

[57] Dorsey, Dustin, and Lindsey Feingold. “Data Shows Higher Percentage of CA, Bay Area Residents Voting for Trump in 2024.” ABC7 San Francisco, November 22, 2024. https://abc7news.com/post/data-shows-political-shift-higher-percentage-bay-area-ca-residents-voting-trump-2024/15538720/.

[58] Walters, Dan. “Democrats Still Dominate California, but Their Voters Have Drifted to the Right,” CalMatters, November 13, 2024, https://calmatters.org/commentary/2024/11/democrats-republicans-california-voters-right/.