When it comes to the Republican candidates for California governor in 2026 , the two who regularly poll ahead of the others — Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News host Steve Hilton — come from vastly different backgrounds.

Bianco, who is often seen sporting a cowboy hat, grew up in a small mining town in Utah, moving to Southern California in 1989. Four years later, he graduated from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Academy at, according to his campaign bio , the top of his class.

To many, the 57-year-old is the no-nonsense, law-and-order candidate who championed Proposition 36 , the 2024 voter-approved ballot measure that increased penalties for certain drug and retail theft crimes, and has made public safety a pillar of his campaign.

Then there’s Hilton, a Br

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