Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s bid for a second time period will transfer to a November runoff election in opposition to former Lengthy Seaside police Chief Robert Luna, with the pair leaping to distant leads Tuesday night in line with early poll outcomes.
Early returns confirmed Villanueva main the nine-person area with 30.4% of the vote, whereas Luna collected 27.9%. Sheriff’s Lt. Eric Robust was a distant third with 12.8% of the vote.
Over the previous century, just one incumbent sheriff within the county has misplaced a re-election bid. That was 4 years in the past, when Villanueva achieved a surprising upset of Sheriff Jim McDonnell, using to an election victory with robust backing from reform-minded group teams and Democrats.
However over the previous 4 years, Villanueva’s assist amongst these teams has waned as he repeatedly clashed with the Democrat-dominated Board of Supervisors over funding and coverage issues, fought again in opposition to claims of “deputy gangs” inside the company, defied subpoenas to look earlier than the Civilian Oversight Fee and refused to implement the county’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate amongst his deputies and division staff.
He has overtly criticized “progressive” insurance policies and politicians, most notably District Lawyer George Gascón, and assailed actions to “defund” regulation enforcement companies.
These stances, nonetheless, have helped solidify his assist amongst lots of these working for him, exemplified by his endorsement by the Affiliation of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs.
In a marketing campaign assertion, Villanueva’s marketing campaign insists he has labored to revive public belief within the sheriff’s division, pointing to the rollout of body-worn cameras and boosting minimal necessities for brand new deputies. The marketing campaign additionally boasts the company is “essentially the most various within the nation.”
“In his subsequent time period, Sheriff Villanueva will work to cut back violent crime, compassionately clear up homeless encampments and maintain public officers accountable for his or her actions,” in line with his marketing campaign.
Luna argued throughout the marketing campaign that the sheriff’s division is being “mismanaged” by Villanueva and stated he’ll work to revive belief within the company. He additionally touted his place as an outsider with no connections to the sheriff’s division.
“Rising up in East Los Angeles, patrolled by the sheriff’s division, opened my eyes to examples of each good and dangerous policing, and impressed my 36-year profession in regulation enforcement,” Luna stated in a candidate assertion.
He stated he’ll work to “modernize” the sheriff’s division and its jail system and enhance the psychological well-being of deputies and staff.
Robust stated his views on regulation enforcement have been formed by private experiences as against the law sufferer who has had adverse interactions with police, and as somebody who has had kinfolk incarcerated or killed by regulation enforcement. A former Marine and Compton police officer, Robust stated he’ll “transfer decisively” to eradicate deputy gangs and work with the inspector common and oversight companies.
He added that he opposes development of a brand new central jail, however desires to work to supply alternate options to incarceration to maintain individuals out of the jail system and “break the cycle of dependancy, petty crime and homelessness.” He additionally vows to “put the wants of victims first and take steps to guard them from their perpetrators and re-victimization.”
Six different candidates have been additionally vying for the sheriff’s workplace, however all have been successfully eradicated with the discharge of early returns, which put the race out of attain.
The opposite hopefuls have been sheriff’s Sgt. Karla Carranza, Los Angeles Airport Police Chief Cecil Rhambo, retired Sheriff’s Capt. Matt Rodriguez, parole agent April Saucedo Hood, retired Sheriff’s Capt. Britta Steinbrenner and retired sheriff’s Cmdr. Eli Vera.
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