California Governor’s Race: Tensions Rise Between Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco Polling in the 2026 California governor’s race has placed former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at the top of the Republican field, with some surveys indicating they could potentially advance to the November runoff against the Democratic candidates. Despite both being conservative Republicans aligned with former President Donald Trump, the two candidates have openly criticized each other over key issues, including law enforcement policies, immigration, and their responses to the Black Lives Matter movement. Bianco has accused Hilton of undermining the possibility of two Republicans winning by adopting a “destructive” strategy against his opponents. During an interview with ABC7 political reporter Josh Haskell, Bianco claimed that Hilton’s tactics have “ruined that chance,” arguing that the former Fox News host’s approach has focused on attacking his rivals rather than addressing the broader challenges facing California. Bianco emphasized that Hilton’s actions have contributed to the unrest in Riverside, where he was involved in a controversial incident during the George Floyd protests in June 2020. Hilton, however, has dismissed Bianco’s claims as false. He criticized Bianco for allegedly “buckling in the face of pressure” during the protests, referencing a moment when Bianco called on Black Lives Matter protesters to collaborate with him. Hilton created a website called BLM Bianco to highlight this incident, which he claims shows Bianco’s supposed alignment with the movement. Bianco responded by calling Hilton a “liar,” insisting that he was the first law enforcement leader in the country to “stand up to BLM” and use “an overwhelming show of force” to disperse protesters.#steve_hilton #chad_bianco #josh_haskell #george_floyd_protests #gavin_newsom
