California Republican Assembly Endorses Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco for Governor at 2026 Annual Convention in Anaheim
- Rex Ballard
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
The California Republican Assembly (CRA), California’s oldest and most influential conservative Republican volunteer organization, has officially endorsed Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco for governor in the 2026 race. The endorsement came after a full day of candidate speeches and multiple rounds of balloting at the group’s annual convention held Saturday, February 21, at the Hilton Hotel at the Anaheim Convention Center.
Approximately 300 CRA members attended the convention, of whom approximately 220 were voting delegates. The convention featured four Republican gubernatorial hopefuls, each given roughly 35 minutes to present their visions for addressing California’s affordability crisis, public safety, homelessness, and regulatory burdens — with no question-and-answer sessions.
The convention was dedicated to the memory of longtime conservative activist Steve Frank (1946–2026), a pivotal figure in California and national Republican politics. Frank served as CRA president in 1980 (the organization’s 47th president), founded the National Federation of Republican Assemblies in the mid-1990s, and remained a leading voice for precinct-based grassroots conservatism until his passing on February 9, 2026. Delegates honored his legacy as a mentor and tireless advocate for principled Republicanism.
Gubernatorial candidates who addressed the delegates included:
Pastor Ché Ahn, a 46-year veteran pastor leading a network of 150 churches, described a divine calling to run and called for a 40-day fast beginning March 1, along with a major spiritual revival event at the Los Angeles Coliseum on April 11.
Sheriff Chad Bianco, a 33-year law enforcement veteran who leads California’s second-largest county. Bianco highlighted his early opposition to COVID-19 mandates, priorities including public safety, mental health, and drug treatment for the homeless, fire mitigation, power grid improvements, nuclear and natural gas energy expansion, school choice, banning boys from girls’ sports, and long-term goals of reducing regulations and eventually eliminating state income and certain property taxes.
Leo Zacky, 35, is a businessman whose family's chicken farm was forced out of California after 90 years. He focused on overregulation driving businesses away, one day voting for election integrity, small modular housing, AI streamlining of permits, trades education, and rapid wildfire response with drones.
Steve Hilton, former Fox News host, Stanford professor, and advisor to the U.K. prime minister, presented his “Califordable Again” plan, emphasizing lower gas prices, tax cuts, ending healthcare for illegal immigrants, protecting girls’ sports, and addressing homelessness and prison policies. Hilton has assembled a high-profile ticket, including Gloria Romero for lieutenant governor, a former Democrat who has crossed over to the Republican party.
In the first round of voting, Bianco led Hilton with 56.25% of the delegate vote. After several elimination rounds that removed the lowest-scoring candidates, Bianco secured approximately 70% of the vote on the final ballot. The Convention was heavily populated with CRA delegates from Southern California; attendance at the Anaheim venue was noted as a factor in the outcome.
The CRA Board of Directors handled the remaining endorsements due to time constraints, backing:
Don Wagner for Secretary of State
Herb Morgan for State Controller
Michael Gates for Attorney General
Shannon Grove
Sonya Shaw for Superintendent of Public Instruction
Additional candidates who spoke at the Convention included Gloria Romero (Lt. Governor), Michael Gates (Attorney General), David Serpa and Jennifer Hawks (State Treasurer), Stacy Korsgaden and Robert Howell (Insurance Commissioner), and others.
Founded during the New Deal era as a grassroots force to strengthen the GOP, the CRA has long been hailed as “the conscience of the Republican Party,” a title bestowed by Ronald Reagan. The organization operates as a volunteer group focused on Judeo-Christian values, limited government, and the election of authentic conservatives.
Sheriff Bianco celebrated the endorsement on social media, posting: “With 70 percent of delegate vote, the California Republican Assembly endorsed our campaign tonight at the annual Convention.” The nod provides an early boost in a competitive Republican primary field as candidates position themselves to challenge the Democratic frontrunners in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The 2026 California gubernatorial race is already drawing national attention, with fundraising and policy contrasts shaping the Republican side. The CRA’s endorsement is viewed as a key signal of grassroots conservative support heading into the primary.
