Bianco

Jumping into the gubernatorial race this week, conservative commentator Steve Hilton gave the GOP its second major candidate — alongside Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco — signaling a heightened sense of opportunity for a party that hasn’t wielded significant power in the state Capitol since “Avatar” reigned at the box office.

“No chance,” he said of Hilton, Bianco or any other Republican assuming the governorship in January 2027.

On the Republican side, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is the sole prominent GOP candidate who previously announced he would run.

So if Democratic voters splinter, Bianco or Hilton could win one of the top two spots, despite the state’s deep blue tilt.

A little more than $215,000 for Republican County Sheriff Chad Bianco; $133,400 for Porter.