California’s Crossroads: Why Leadership Must Be Visionary, Not Just Tactical

By Gene D. Johnson Jr., Chair, Republican Party of Merced County

As we approach the 2026 gubernatorial election, California faces a defining moment. Two Republican candidates—Sheriff Chad Bianco and reform advocate Steve Hilton—offer distinct visions for our state’s future. Both deserve serious consideration, but the question isn’t just who they are. It’s what kind of leadership California needs.

Bianco brings grit and law enforcement experience. Hilton offers systemic reform and policy innovation. One is boots-on-the-ground; the other is blueprint-in-hand. But leadership at the state level demands more than credentials—it demands vision.

President Trump never wore a badge, yet he led with backbone. Hilton channels that same outsider energy, challenging entrenched systems with bold reform. Bianco’s strengths may be best applied in a specialized role—perhaps as California’s top emergency services official under a reform-minded administration.

We don’t need more management. We need transformation. And the candidate who can marry principle with policy—and tradition with innovation—is the one who can truly make California golden again.

Let’s have the conversation. Let’s choose wisely.