Anaheim Angels icon Troy Percival threw his official endorsement behind Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco in California’s closely watched 2026 gubernatorial race, according to an exclusive statement sent to Fox News Digital.
Percival, a hero in the Angels’ 2002 World Series championship run, tied his endorsement of Bianco to criticism of California’s progressive leadership and the state’s contested policies regarding transgender student-athletes, which have impacted women’s athletics.
In the exclusive statement from Bianco’s campaign, Percival praised Bianco’s resistance to state COVID-19 mandates while backing the sheriff’s position on biological sex in sports divisions:
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“Sheriff Chad Bianco is the ONLY person I trust to lead California out of failure and back into greatness. Chad had the backbone to face Gavin Newsom and the Democrat establishment during COVID,” Percival said, adding, “While the rest of the country was shut down, businesses and churches continued running like normal.
“California needs a governor who respects the Constitution. I’m all in for Chad Bianco and I’m telling everyone I know to do the same. As an athlete, seeing men dominate women’s sports in California is just another reminder we need real leadership and that’s what Sheriff Bianco offers.”
With Gov. Gavin Newsom termed out, Bianco has emerged as one of the leading conservative candidates alongside media personality Steve Hilton.
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The endorsement comes at a pivotal moment in the June 2026 primary race.
Bianco has built his campaign around public safety and cultural issues, including promises to repeal California laws protecting transgender student-athletes.
He has also pledged to use state funding pressure to enforce biological-sex categories in school sports.
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The issue intensified following Bianco’s recent criticism of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) over Jurupa Valley senior and trans athlete AB Hernandez, who’s been dominating girls’ track and field events in recent weeks.
Previously speaking with Fox News Digital, Bianco doubled down on his stance when asked whether school employees should face consequences for complying with state policies regarding transgender athletes and youth gender transitions.
“There is no place in girls’ sports for boys to compete against them,” Bianco said. “It is ethically and morally wrong to allow them into locker rooms and restrooms.”
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Bianco continued, “Elected officials are only afraid of one thing, and that’s not getting elected again. When they know they’re not going to get elected again because they’re harming our girls, or they’re not protecting our kids, they’re going to finally be forced to do the right thing.”
Percival’s endorsement injects undeniable credibility into Bianco’s campaign just as the Republican primary reaches a boiling point.
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