There comes a time when silence becomes complicity, and for Hollywood actor Lorenzo Lamas, that time has arrived.
The action star, known for his roles in the 1980s and 1990s that made him a household name, has thrown his support behind Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco in the Republican’s bid to unseat Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. It is a rare political endorsement from an entertainment industry figure, and one that speaks volumes about the current state of affairs in the Golden State.
“The impact on the state of California with the current administration is nothing short of devastating,” Lamas said, choosing his words carefully but with unmistakable conviction.
For years, Lamas kept his political views close to the vest, understanding the professional risks that come with speaking out in an industry not known for its tolerance of conservative viewpoints. “Over the years I’ve been very careful about voicing an opinion politically,” he explained. “Sometimes it can affect who you work for, depending on a company’s or studio’s political point of view.”
But watching his home state spiral has proven too much to bear in silence. “I think we’re at a point now, not just in California, but nationwide, that we have to start at least voicing what we feel is wrong with what’s happening,” he said.
The concerns Lamas raises are ones that resonate far beyond Hollywood’s glittering facade. He points to California’s paradox: a state blessed with the nation’s largest economy and abundant natural resources, yet plagued by mismanagement that has left it reeling from crisis to crisis.
“We have to figure out what we’re going to do with the people that are disenfranchised and living on the streets,” Lamas said, raising questions about accountability that deserve answers. “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.”
The recent wildfires hit particularly close to home for the actor. “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 said.
The aftermath has been equally troubling. Families who have called Pacific Palisades home for generations now find themselves priced out of rebuilding in their own neighborhoods, facing years of bureaucratic red tape and approval processes that seem designed to obstruct rather than assist.
“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,” Lamas noted. He praised Bianco’s commitment to cutting through the bureaucracy that has strangled recovery efforts.
Lamas described the Democratic Party’s control of California as “a sickness that’s permeated the state from the top to the bottom,” a harsh assessment but one that reflects growing frustration among Californians who remember when their state functioned differently.
Sheriff Bianco’s pro-law enforcement stance appears to be a key factor in earning Lamas’s endorsement, representing a stark contrast to policies that many believe have contributed to rising crime and disorder in California’s cities.
The question now is whether other voices in Hollywood will find similar courage to speak up, or whether the fear of professional consequences will continue to keep them silent while California struggles to find its way back.
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