Lorenzo Lamas has stepped into the political ring and publicly endorsed Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco for California governor, blasting the current administration as having caused deep damage to the state. He frames his support around public safety, accountability for taxpayer dollars, and cutting red tape after seeing wildfire devastation and rising street disorder. Lamas thinks Bianco’s pro-law enforcement stance and common-sense approach make him the candidate who can reverse California’s decline.
Lamas, known for his action-star past, said he had been careful about speaking out politically for years because of how it can affect work. He now feels the situation has reached a boiling point and that silence is no longer an option. “The impact on the state of California with the current [Newsom] administration is nothing short of devastating.”
He painted a blunt picture of a state mismanaged despite massive wealth and natural resources, arguing the ruling party has allowed a breakdown in basic civic order. Lamas called it “a sickness that’s permeated the state from the top to the bottom.” That language is sharp and intentionally so; he wants attention on what he calls systemic failures.
Concerns over homelessness and welfare spending came up as a core complaint for him, and he did not mince words about accountability. “We have to figure out what we’re going to do with the people that are disenfranchised and living on the streets, the programs that supposedly are budgeted for these folks, where is that money? … There’s nobody that’s accounting for the millions of dollars that are spent on welfare programs that’s not benefiting anybody that can use it,” he said. That line underscores his demand for fiscal responsibility and results.
Wildfire response and rebuilding delays hit him personally, and he used his own losses to make a political point about priorities and budgeting. “I grew up in Pacific Palisades, that fire devastated my hometown. The home I grew up in burned down. My elementary school burned down. Why? Because not enough budget was allocated to resources to fight the fire.” He links that failure directly to government choices and resource allocation.
Lamas described the human cost of bureaucratic delays that block people from returning to their communities. “Not only that, the people that lost their homes in the Palisades. Many of them were second, third generation people. They cannot afford to rebuild in the city that they grew up in, the city that they came to love. Why? Well, because, hey, guess what? It takes years to get rebuilding plans approved. There’s just so much red tape, so much bureaucracy, and Chad wants to just eliminate it.” He admires Bianco’s pledge to cut the red tape and speed up recovery.
Public safety is front and center for Lamas, who insists California needs leaders who support law enforcement and take crime seriously. “We’ve got to have a governor that’s pro-law enforcement, that’s going to keep our moms and our daughters safe on the streets,” he said. That basic promise resonates with voters worried about everyday safety and who want visible backing for police and sheriffs.
Personal stakes sharpen his pitch: two daughters living in Los Angeles drive his worry about street crime and daily vulnerability. “I have two daughters that live in Los Angeles, and there I tell them, every single day [that] their heads got to be on a swivel. You see all the crime that’s rampant, not just in California, but all around the country. It’s permeating this beautiful nation of ours, and it really makes me sick.” That emotion fuels his endorsement and his call for change.
Lamas believes Bianco offers practical solutions on cost of living and safety, describing him as the kind of leader who can connect with regular voters. “What I see in Chad is a tremendous gift of being able to present his agenda with a commonsense foundation, and that’s going to appeal to anybody with half of a brain.” He emphasizes that common-sense messaging won nationally and should win in California too.
He urged Californians to stop accepting the status quo, saying, “Last November 6th, America voted for commonsense. And I think it’s time that California votes for commonsense, and the only person that I really feel can bring that to our state is Chad Bianco.” The endorsement also points to broader Republican hopes of narrowing the gap in a state that has not elected a Republican statewide in nearly two decades.
Bianco faces an uphill climb in a deep-blue state where prominent Democrats are also vying for the open governorship. On the Democratic side, figures like Rep. Eric Swalwell and former Rep. Katie Porter are running and represent the progressive wing that Lamas and other conservatives criticize. Still, celebrity endorsements and backing from high-profile law-and-order supporters aim to boost Bianco’s profile and rally voters who want a sharp change of direction.
Even a terse response from the governor’s camp made headlines when a spokesperson brushed off Lamas’ criticism with a single-word reply: “Who?” That dismissive tone will likely be used by Bianco supporters as evidence the current leadership is out of touch. With additional endorsements from fighters and law-enforcement advocates, Bianco is positioning himself as the candidate for voters fed up with rising crime and bureaucratic paralysis.
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