Members of several central committees from around the Bay Area gathered in Woodside on Saturday, August 12, 2025, to meet with California gubernatorial candidate Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County.
He first spoke to a group of about 50 people at a packed Chez Nous coffee shop. (Rumble video.) Afterwards, 25 of us gathered for dinner at the Firehouse Bistro.
We heard directly from him about California’s problems and how he plans to address them. According to him, those problems fall into three broad categories, namely school choice, public safety and over-regulation.
School Choice
California was once known for its excellence public school system. But in turning away from education to ideological indoctrination, California schools have become among the worst in the US.
As your governor, Chad Bianco will support parents’ rights in our public school system and advocate for vouchers and school choice. Vouchers not only give parents more control over the education of their kids, but expand opportunities for teachers as well. Instead of being stuck working in a public school, teachers can work for private or charter schools where parents are far more engaged in the education of their children. And let’s not forget that our public schools can rise to the challenge, make improvements and compete for our education dollars. They excelled in the past and can be expected to excel once again.
Parents of children with special needs can receive vouchers that are more valuable than regular vouchers, thereby encouraging private and charter schools to compete for those students as well.
Public Safety
Fire protection and police protection, the two prongs of public safety that every civilized society needs. But in California, fire departments and law enforcement lack the support and resources they need from elected officials, our courts and the media. Police departments are underfunded and vilified by elected officials and the press. Misguided judges and unscrupulous district attorneys make it impossible to meet the high expectations for law enforcement.
Fire protection is also inhibited by lack a of equipment and adequate funds. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) further inhibits the brush clearing needed to prevent devastating fires. Inadequate water supplies plagued the efforts of fire departments in the spring 2025 wildfires in Southern California. Unscrupulous politicians attempting to shift blame from themselves point to climate change. But California has always had fire seasons and windy seasons. The lack of adequate resources and the failure to clear brush create fire breaks that is responsible for the massive loss of private property due to recent fires.
As your governor, Chad Bianco will exempt routine public safety projects from CEQA, enforce laws against drug use that are responsible for a significant portion of petty theft and homelessness, and appoint judges willing to jail those convicted of serious crimes. He will work with our legislature to undo the harmful legislation that impedes public safety in a manner that maintains our civil rights.
De-regulation
California is over regulated. Our zoning and environmental laws are being abused to obstruct or delay essential infrastructure improvements, business development and housing. It is not uncommon for important public projects to be for delayed years awaiting environmental review and approval. Upgrading or starting new businesses in California is excruciatingly slow and drives many companies out of state, taking their high-paying (and environmentally friendly) jobs with them. Rebuilding a single family residence (if allowed) takes 3 to 5 years when 4 to 6 months should do. Over-regulation has driven housing costs so high that it is difficult for young couples to start or raise families in California.
These problems are recognized by Democrats as well as Republicans, and they’re ready to work with a proven leader like Chad Bianco. He will apply the model he developed as Sheriff of Riverside County. There he was given full control of the budget for the sheriff department. He cut wasteful programs and red tape to provide better services at a lower cost. He was not only able hire another 700 deputies, but updated and modernized the equipment used by his deputies. He was also able to fund a new $800 million dollar training facility. (Unfortunately, the project is being needlessly delayed by review and approval of its CEQA compliance documentation.)
Through his persistent lobbying efforts in Sacramento, Sheriff Bianco has developed mutual respect and a productive working relationship with our state legislators. They won’t publicly endorse him, but they now seek his review and comment on legislation before it advances in the legislature, particularly on issues related to law enforcement. As governor he will expand that good working relationship to free our state from burdensome regulations that prevent our state from being the Golden State.
The Coachella Incident
At the coffee shop, Sheriff Bianco addressed a concern shared by many Second Amendment supporters regarding an arrest he made at a Trump campaign event in Coachella, California. The incident sparked considerable controversy, was sensationalized by the media and involved a questionable ‘victim.’ In truth there were multiple legitimate reasons for the arrest of Verm Miller that weekend—including possession of several driver’s licenses and passports under different names, and a trunk full of weapons in an unregistered vehicle he didn’t own. Notably, Mr. Miller filed a lawsuit against the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department the very next business day, suggesting a pattern of legal action against law enforcement.
The Choice is Clear
The Marin GOP will arrange to hear from the other conservatives running for governor of California. But Chad Bianco has set the bar very high. He’s the only candidate that stood for election and won. Not only was he elected, but he was elected twice in a large county dominated by Democrats. And he is the only candidate that has a productive working relationship with California legislators.
His record provides a good measure for other candidates!
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