A lifelong New York Yankees fan is asking the people of California to make him their next governor. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who grew up in the heyday of the 1970-80s Yankees-Dodgers rivalry, admitted he had mixed emotions when Shohei Ohtani and company beat his childhood team in the 2024 World Series. “I did [celebrate]. I was sad because I wanted the Yankees to win, but at the time, as a baseball fan, I also noticed the Dodgers were a better team. The Dodgers deserved to win, and I was very happy to be from the Los Angeles area,” Bianco told Fox News Digital. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMAround that same time, Bianco watched one of his Republican colleagues, and a staple in the 70s-80s Dodgers-Yankees rivalry, former Dodgers star Steve Garvey, make a run at a U.S. Senate seat in California. Bianco campaigned with Garvey. But Garvey came up well short against Democrat incumbent Adam Schiff that year.Now, Bianco, who is currently a frontrunner for the California governorship in many 2026 polls, believes that two years of Democratic leadership since Garvey’s failed run has only strengthened the case for voting Republican in the Golden State.”We’re in a little bit worse off scenario than we were in 2024,” Bianco said. “Californians are realizing that politics are corrupt, our state government is corrupt, and crime is really out of control.” And sports haven’t been spared any concerns in the state.With the Winter Olympics now over, and the Summer Olympics coming to Los Angeles just over two years from now, anxiety has mounted over the feasibility of the city being able to host the games, due to crime rates, homelessness, damage from the 2025 wildfires and rising taxes. And on the youth front, the state faces an ongoing wave of biological male transgender athletes competing in girls’ high school sports, as California leadership has refused to comply with President Donald Trump’s mandate to ensure only female athletes compete in girls’ sports. The state’s refusal has prompted a Department of Justice lawsuit, multiple federal investigations and dozens of California girls facing life-changing trauma, with some filing lawsuits of their own. Bianco thinks he has solutions for both issues. As a sheriff, Bianco believes that if Los Angles was set to hold the Olympics this summer, in the city’s current state, it would not be possible to do so. “No, I don’t think so,” Bianco said of the city being able to host the games if they occurred this year. “Everyone’s wondering how they’re going to arrange the Olympics… we don’t have the money to dedicate to this, we don’t have the updated resources to dedicate to this, for transportation or even housing… I think it is absolutely embarrassing… I think the U.S. is going to have an amazing Olympics, but for the city of Los Angeles it’s certainly not a proud moment.” Bianco pointed to financial mismanagement and alleged fraud in the state government.UFC CHAMPION TITO ORTI
Chad Bianco reveals his California sports vision: Saving the LA Olympics and trans athlete crisis consequences
