Los Angeles County voters face a runoff election Tuesday in a closely watched contest between incumbent Sheriff Robert Luna and his predecessor, Alex Villanueva, marking a rematch of the 2022 sheriff’s race. The election will determine leadership of the nation’s largest sheriff’s department, responsible for public safety in a sprawling region preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Four years ago, Luna emerged from relative obscurity to challenge Villanueva and ultimately unseat him. This year, Villanueva, who served as sheriff from 2018 to 2022, reversed roles by pushing Luna into a runoff after the June primary, where Luna secured 44.2% of the vote and Villanueva received 21.7%.
The two former law enforcement leaders present starkly different assessments of their tenures and visions for the department’s future. Luna positions himself as a stabilizing force who has worked to rebuild relationships and restore respect toward the Sheriff’s Department after what he describes as Villanueva’s divisive and at times combative leadership. He stresses the importance of maintaining strong connections with county supervisors, who control the department’s budget, and with other government agencies and the public.
Villanueva, meanwhile, portrays Luna’s administration as a period of decline marked by rising overtime costs, personnel vacancies, and ineffective crisis management. Speaking at a recent event in Burbank, Villanueva criticized Luna’s handling of homelessness and emergency responses, arguing the department is in a state of “free fall” and warning against four more years under the current leadership. Villanueva has sought to reframe his past tenure as a period when Los Angeles County thrived under his command, though critics point to his combative style and alienation from some Democratic supporters.
The candidates also differ on handling public corruption and accountability. Villanueva created a public corruption unit within the department during his term, defending it as necessary despite concerns it was used in politically charged investigations, including a 2022 raid on the home of then-Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. Luna disbanded this unit upon taking office and has favored referring corruption cases to external agencies such as the California Department of Justice or federal authorities to avoid any perception of bias.
Luna’s tenure has not been without controversy. His department and the county remain engaged in a legal dispute over release of records related to use-of-force incidents sought by the Civilian Oversight Commission. Luna’s office has maintained that ongoing union negotiations restrict the release of unredacted documents, while Villanueva alleges the delays are politically motivated to influence the election.
Both sheriffs have faced significant events during their terms. Villanueva led the department during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and Luna has managed responses to major wildfires in Malibu and Altadena as well as ongoing challenges related to immigration enforcement in coordination with federal authorities.
Campaign finance figures show Luna holds a significant fundraising advantage, having raised approximately $729,000 this year compared to Villanueva’s $242,000. Despite the high stakes, the candidates have not engaged in televised debates this election cycle, and their core messages remain consistent with positions taken during the primary.
The runoff will determine which candidate voters trust to lead the department through upcoming challenges, including public safety concerns during the 2028 Olympics and ongoing debates over law enforcement policy in the nation’s most populous county.