The race for California’s governor took a personal turn Tuesday night as the leading candidates faced off in their first major debate. While the stage was filled with hopefuls laying out their visions for the state’s future, the most explosive moment came from Republican Steve Hilton, who used his time to launch a blistering attack on a rival who wasn’t even in the building: Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
With the jungle primary looming just five months away, Hilton didn’t hold back, accusing Bianco of being a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only) and a “shifty sheriff” with too much “baggage” to represent the party.
The crux of Hilton’s frustration stems from a 2020 video that has resurfaced, showing Bianco kneeling during a Black Lives Matter protest following the death of George Floyd. Hilton told the audience that Bianco’s actions during the civil unrest were a disqualifying betrayal of conservative values, urging him to drop out of the race to avoid splitting the Republican vote and handing an easy victory to the Democrats.
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The 2020 footage shows Bianco and several deputies on one knee in front of a crowd of protesters. At the time, Bianco was heard telling the group that he wanted their voices to be heard and hoped for mutual understanding.
However, in more recent appearances before Republican groups, Bianco has pushed back hard against the “kneeling” narrative. He claims he wasn’t bowing to a political movement, but rather participating in a moment of prayer at the request of a protest organizer he considered a “good guy.”
According to Bianco, he was simply trying to de-escalate a tense situation that was on the verge of turning into a riot, and the camera merely caught the moment of prayer.
Bianco has remained defiant despite the criticism, often pointing to the high morale within his department as proof of his leadership. He hasn’t directly responded to Hilton’s latest debate-stage demands, but his position in the polls suggests he might not need to.
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A January poll conducted by the Independent Voter Project shows Bianco leading the pack with 26% support among non-partisan voters, with Hilton trailing slightly at 23.8%.
The mudslinging isn’t limited to the Republican side of the aisle, either. The debate atmosphere was further complicated by lingering controversies involving other frontrunners. Democratic candidate and former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa recently called for Hilton to exit the race after Hilton’s name surfaced in documents related to the late Jeffrey Epstein.
The documents mention an email chain involving a former colleague of Hilton’s, though Hilton’s camp has vehemently denied any personal connection or communication with Epstein. Ironically, Villaraigosa himself has seen his name appear in similar files, specifically regarding a 2010 event he hosted that was mentioned in an email to Epstein by a Hollywood publicist.
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As the primary draws closer, the “top-two” system in California means that the two candidates with the most votes—regardless of party—will move on to the general election. With the Republican candidates currently polling at the top but tearing into each other’s records, the path to the governor’s mansion is becoming a high-stakes game of survival and reputation management.
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