Chad Bianco

Last updated
Chad Bianco
Sheriff Bianco Portrait from Bio.tif
14th Sheriff-Coroner of Riverside County, California
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 7, 2019

Chad Bianco is an American law enforcement officer currently serving as sheriff of Riverside County, California. He was first elected in 2018 and then re-elected in 2022. A political conservative, Bianco has been affiliated with the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Career

Bianco was first elected Riverside County sheriff in 2018. [5] He was re-elected in 2022 with about 60% of votes for a term set to last until 2028 due to a state law changing sheriff election years to match presidential ones. [6] [7] Bianco has been hosted on Fox News, as well as by Conservative pastors on YouTube channels and podcasts. [6] As of 2023, Bianco's department had over 3,600 employees and was managing five jails. [8]

In 2020, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Bianco stated that he would not enforce Coronavirus mandates and did not plan to get vaccinated. [9] [10] He tested positively for the virus in January 2021 with mild symptoms, after which he started quarantining at his home. [10]

In 2022, Riverside County jails registered 18 inmate deaths, the biggest number in 15 years. The spike prompted multiple civil lawsuits against the county's prison facilities and Bianco himself. [11] [12] [13] In 2023, Bianco's department was placed under investigation by the California Department of Justice to determine if the organization had "engaged in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing amid deeply concerning allegations relating to conditions of confinement in its jail facilities, excessive force, and other misconduct." [14] [15] In relation to those incidents, Bianco stated that "every single one of these inmate deaths was out of anyone’s control". [11]

2026 gubernatorial campaign

Bianco announced his run for Governor of California in the 2026 California gubernatorial election on February 17, 2025, becoming the first major Republican to enter the race. [16] [17] [18]

On February 21, Bianco attended a press conference in San Diego with Republican leaders to promote State Senate Republican Majority Leader Brian Jones' proposed bill SB554 to weaken the California Senate Bill 54 (2017) of 2017 that limits law enforcement's ability to cooperate with ICE. [19] [20]

Awards

Bianco was awarded the 2023 Sheriff Award by the conservative think tank the Claremont Institute. [7]

Personal life

Bianco moved from Utah to California in 1989, and in 1993 attended the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Academy. He graduated at the top of his class, and joined the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department shortly after graduation. Bianco and his family attend Sandals Church in Riverside.

Following a hacking incident in September 2021 against a database belonging to the Oath Keepers, Bianco, along with over 200 law-enforcement officers, was exposed as a former member of the organization. [1] [5] [21] He later stated that he had paid for a $40 one-year membership in the organization in 2014 and did not renew it for the next year. Bianco has since disavowed the group's violent conduct. [22] [1] [2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "California sheriff admits he once was member of far-right Oath Keepers group linked to Capitol rioters". The Washington Post. October 7, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Ingrassia, Jake (2021-10-06). "Sheriff Chad Bianco paid membership dues to the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia group". KESQ. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  3. ↑ "Riverside County sheriff acknowledges he was dues-paying member of Oath Keepers". Daily News. 2021-10-05. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
  4. ↑ "Sheriff's Tie To Oath Keepers Condemned By County Supervisor". Palm Desert, CA Patch. 2021-10-07. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
  5. 1 2 "Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco acknowledges he was dues-paying member of Oath Keepers in 2014". ABC7 Los Angeles. 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  6. 1 2 "Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco isn't backing down in second term". Press Enterprise. 2023-01-10. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  7. 1 2 Wilson, Jason (2023-11-06). "Far-right US thinktank to give award to extremist sheriff leading 'disaster' office". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  8. ↑ "Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco sworn in for second term". Press Enterprise. 2023-01-05. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
  9. ↑ "Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco's refusal to enforce coronavirus orders gets national attention". Press Enterprise. 2020-12-18. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
  10. 1 2 "Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco tests positive for coronavirus, says symptoms are mild". Press Enterprise. 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
  11. 1 2 Janapati, Spandana (2024-01-16). "With the rise of civil lawsuits against Riverside County, Sheriff Bianco's response elicits concern". Highlander. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  12. ↑ "Riverside County sheriff faces another lawsuit over inmate death". KTLA. 2024-01-03. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  13. ↑ Damien, Christopher (October 31, 2023). "Amid jail deaths and lawsuits, groups urge Riverside County supervisors to rein in sheriff". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California . Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  14. ↑ "Governor Chad Bianco? That's a really bad idea". Orange County Register. 2024-04-21. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  15. ↑ "California Department of Justice opens needed investigation into troubled Riverside County Sheriff's Department". Orange County Register. 2023-02-23. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  16. ↑ Sharp, Julie (2025-02-17). "Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco announces run for California governor - CBS Los Angeles". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  17. ↑ "Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to announce run for California governor | abc7.com". abc7.com. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  18. ↑ Service • •, City News (2025-02-17). "Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco announces run for governor". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  19. ↑ Black, Abbie (2025-02-21). "State Senate minority leader proposes overhaul of California's 'sanctuary state' law". cbs8.com. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  20. ↑ Jones, Senator Brian. "Senate Minority Leader Jones Leads Effort to Overhaul California's Sanctuary State Law | Senator Brian Jones". sr40.senate.ca.gov. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  21. ↑ Seidman, Lila (October 7, 2021). "Riverside County sheriff was once a member of an extremist group with ties to the Jan. 6 insurrection". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  22. ↑ Damien, Christopher (October 6, 2021). "Sheriff Bianco defends his past Oath Keeper membership as some call for his resignation". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California . Retrieved February 21, 2025.
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