Steve Hilton vs. Sheriff Chad Bianco: Who’s the Better Choice to Run California?

Last week PBD hosted Republican Steve Hilton one of the two leading candidates for California governor. This week, we get the other prominent Republican in the mix: Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

With the June 2, 2026 jungle primary fast approaching, this race is heating up. I’m embedding the full interview with Sheriff Bianco below. If you’re up early or following the blog, this is a good one to watch when it drops. [VIDEO]

I’ll be watching the episode shortly after it goes live and will share my detailed thoughts in a follow-up post or update. In the meantime, here are a few initial questions I’m bringing into this interview:

• Can a longtime law enforcement leader like Sheriff Bianco bring the tough, law-and-order approach California desperately needs on crime, homelessness, and public safety?
• Does Steve Hilton’s experience as a policy thinker (and his background in British politics under David Cameron) give him an edge on fixing California’s deeper structural and economic problems?
• Which candidate is more likely to actually win a general election against a Democrat in one of America’s most blue states?

I’m particularly interested in whether Bianco leans hard into the “law-and-order governor” message. California voters have grown increasingly frustrated with soft-on-crime policies, but will that frustration be enough in a jungle primary?

What do you think? Are you a California resident? Which of these two Republicans do you prefer — and why? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

I’ll update this post or publish a full breakdown once I’ve watched Sheriff Bianco’s interview.