With approximately 136,000 votes left to count, Sheriff Chad Bianco, pictured here at the 2022 Legislative Summit, has all but secured a second term as Riverside County’s top law officer. Valley News/Shane Gibson photo
Barring no surprises in the remaining votes to be counted, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is headed for
a second term after beating back a challenge from retired sheriff's Capt. Michael Lujan during the Tuesday, June 7, primary election. As of press time, Bianco secured 58..53% of the vote compared to Lujan’s 41.47%.
Bianco, who resides in Riverside, was first elected in 2018, after a hard-fought contest against former Sheriff Stan Sniff. Bianco has been tested on several fronts since then, drawing both criticism and praise.
Bianco gained wide attention at the height of the statewide coronavirus public health lockdowns in the fall of 2020, declaring that he would not dedicate sheriff's resources to enforcing any part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home orders, including a curf
