Democrats strategize to oust Sheriff Chad Bianco

Desert Democrats to meet on Saturday, October 23 to discuss ways to oust Sheriff Chad Bianco

The Democrats of the Desert, the biggest Democratic club in the Coachella Valley, are due to meet on Saturday, October 23 for the sole purpose of strategizing to topple Sheriff Chad Bianco, a first-term sheriff.

“Our goal is to replace Sheriff Bianco,” Stephen Jaffe, chairman of the political organization, told Uken Report. “The panel will discuss the best ways to achieve this goal. For example, what are the legal qualifications of a sheriff candidate, what are the personal characteristics of the ideal candidate to challenge the incumbent, why Bianco needs to be replaced, and in what ways is Bianco politically vulnerable.

Their angst was heightened last week after learning that seven years ago Bianco paid a one-year membership fee to belong to Oath Keepers.

The group’s effort should come as no surprise. In December 2020, the Desert Democrats Board of Directors and the Palm Desert Greens Democratic Club Board of Directors sent a letter to the Oversight Board saying Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is “arrogant, no compliant and negligent ”. , Democratic groups implored supervisors to censor Bianco.

A political action committee made up of some of Sheriff Chad Bianco’s harshest critics has also been formed, seeking to impeach the sometimes controversial – and without excuse – sheriff when he is re-elected next year.

The Riverside Alliance for Safety & Accountability has paid for emails, texts and social media ads attacking Bianco, according to campaign fundraising records, and is actively seeking donations.

“Chad Bianco is betraying us all and he poses a real threat to the future of our public safety,” according to a statement posted on the group’s website, biancomustgo.com. “We cannot allow Chad Bianco to run our community with his unlimited power for another four years. The safety of our community is at stake. ”

To date, Bianco does not have a challenger, which likely puts any potential challenger at a disadvantage. Bianco announced his candidacy in May 2017 for the 2018 elections. He was already recognized by name for running for office in 2014. When he announced in May 2017, Bianco already had the support of deputies and managers of the department.

The absence of a challenger seduces Bianco.

“I have to be honest and say I would rather not have an opponent,” said Bianco. We have come this far as an organization and in our dealings with city agencies over the past three years that person should be operating on a platform of looking back. Knowing that I cannot please everyone, I have the overall majority of support from my entire department and law enforcement throughout Riverside County. In that sense, the vast majority of voters in Riverside County also support the direction in which we are heading. “

So far, Bianco has continued, “It seems the only people against me are these noisy little groups who want the criminals out of jail, no one else to be arrested and those who can’t get away from it. party politics. With that, there is always the possibility that someone decides to show up. My journey in this role spanned six years with substantial financial backing and support at a time when change was evident to everyone. Someone deciding to run eight months before an election with no real way to raise the funds needed for a county-wide race would be futile. I can’t imagine the platform they would present to come forward against me. I hope common sense prevails over what is best for the county and not what is best for it or its political agenda. “

Bianco said the most frustrating thing for him is that those who oppose him right now is that they have absolutely no idea who he is.

“(They) never reached out to have any kind of discussion and base all their dislike of me on their refusal to think outside of their political party,” Bianco said. “I spoke against the governor, so they must hate me. I have spoken out against some media that distort the truth and scramble reality for clicks or reads, so they need to redouble their efforts to print negative articles. So far, my opposition has come mainly from people and organizations aligned with the far left. Personally, I think this should be a wake-up call for everyone. The irony is that I am exactly what they would want in this position if politics interferes with their security or their freedoms.

The sheriff’s election takes place in June 2022, with a possible second round in November between the first two voters if no candidate obtains a simple majority. While the Riverside County electorate has a blue streak, defeating Bianco won’t be easy.

State law requires sheriff candidates to have either an advanced certificate from the Commission on Standards and Training of Peace Officers or a certain level of law enforcement experience depending on their training.

Any Bianco challenger will also have to face the MPs union, which spent six figures on Bianco’s 2018 campaign and defended their favorite candidates with mail attack announcements against their opponents. As of June 30, the sheriff had more than $ 481,000 in his campaign fund.