GOP Sheriff Caught Seizing 650,000 Ballots Illegally, Defends Ties to Oath Keepers at California Governor Debate

At a tense CNN debate for California’s gubernatorial race, the spotlight fell on Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican candidate accused of breaking the law by seizing more than 650,000 ballots in last year’s redistricting referendum. Democratic frontrunner Xavier Becerra did not mince words, calling out Bianco for ignoring required legal processes and questioning his fitness for governor.

“First, Steve, read the law,” Becerra said directly to conservative commentator Steve Hilton, who hesitated to take a stance on Bianco’s actions. “In order to remove ballots, you have to follow a process. Sheriff Bianco didn’t follow it. If you’re not going to enforce the law as governor, then why would you want to sit in the office?”

The seizure occurred in February after Bianco acted on claims from a local anti-voting activist group, itself inspired by a national organization notorious for spreading false voter fraud conspiracies. Democracy Docket previously exposed Bianco’s history of anti-voting rhetoric, including social media posts falsely accusing Democrats of rigging elections and promoting conspiracy theories about noncitizen voters.

Bianco’s extremist leanings extend beyond online comments. During the debate, Democratic candidate Antonio Villaraigosa confronted Bianco over his ties to the far-right Oath Keepers, a group heavily involved in the deadly January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.

“I’m very proud of it,” Bianco declared when pressed about his association with the Oath Keepers. “And guess what? You’re going to swear an oath and you swore an oath, you should know what you were swearing. And be proud for defending it.”

When moderator Kaitlin Collins asked for clarification, Bianco doubled down, urging critics to “read the mission statement” of the Oath Keepers before condemning the group.

This brazen defense of extremist affiliations, combined with the unlawful seizure of ballots, lays bare the dangerous erosion of democratic norms under candidates like Bianco. His actions and rhetoric reflect a broader pattern of election denialism and authoritarian overreach threatening the integrity of American democracy.