Alex Villanueva concedes to Robert Luna in race for LA County Sheriff
Alex Villanueva on Tuesday announced that he has conceded in the race for Los Angeles County Sheriff, making way for his challenger in Robert Luna.
"It's not a surprise," said political analyst and former Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. "From the day he walked into office, he was digging his own grave, politically speaking."
Voting numbers released by the Los Angeles County Registrar have consistently shown Villanueva facing a large deficit at the hands of Luna, who on Tuesday evening led by a margin of 60.01% to Villanueva's 39.99% — 1,040,727 votes to 693,527.
Despite falling behind early, Villanueva had expressed confidence in recent days, recalling the 2018 election in which he also faced a deficit. Luna's lead held however, making him the 34th Sheriff of Los Angeles County.
Villanueva is now just the second Sheriff in the last 105 years of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department history to be unseated by a challenger as the incumbent, something that he did to then-Sheriff Jim McDonnell in the 2018 general election.
"I want to wish the incoming sheriff well," Villanueva said at Tuesday's press conference, where he also recalled a list of accomplishments that he said the department achieved during his tenure.
The incoming sheriff issued a statement following Villanueva's concession.
"Thank you LA County!
I'm deeply honored and humbled that you have elected me as your next Sheriff.
With your vote, you have entrusted me with a clear mandate to bring new leadership and accountability to the Sheriff's Department. And that's exactly what I will do.
I want to offer my best wishes to Sheriff Villanueva and his family.
And I look forward to working with the talented and courageous sworn and professional staff of the Sheriff's Department who are dedicated to keeping our communities safe."
Luna spent the majority of his life as an officer for the Long Beach Police Department starting at the department as a reserve officer in 1985.
"I always tell people I dreamt of being a police officer from a very early age and this city allowed me to fulfill my dreams," he said.
His 36-year career with the agency culminated in 2014 when officials appointed him as the city's first-ever Latino Chief of Police.
Instead of retiring after 7 years as chief, Luna decided to run against Alex Villanueva, hoping to command the largest Sheriff's Department in the United States. He claimed that the agency was in a crisis of leadership, accountability and public trust following an era filled with controversy and turmoil.
"The Sheriff is very divisive," Luna said. "He doesn't work well with others and the key to solving some of the most significant challenges we face - whether it's homelessness or crime, or anything else. In 2022 you have to be able to work with not only other government agencies, but also with private entities, the community.
Turmoil and controversy plagued the department for the past two years.
Recently, the agency and Sheriff Villanueva were criticized for investigating political rival, climaxing in a raid of Supervisor Sheila Kuehl's home and office. The department claimed it was part of a corruption investigation into a claim that Kuehl helped steer contracts to her close friend, Patti Giggans and her nonprofit.
The investigation was ultimately taken over by the Attorney General and is still underway.
In addition to its ongoing feud with the Board of Supervisors, the agency has been the target of several lawsuits from former employees alleging that top brass retaliated against its own deputies for whistleblowing.
Private citizens, like Vanessa Bryant, have also filed and won lawsuits against the Sheriff's Department for alleged misconduct by its deputies.
Born in East L.A., which falls under the jurisdiction of the Sherrif's Department, Luna said that he has seen examples of good and bad policing — lessons that he hopes to carry into his career as Sheriff.
"I was born in East Los Angeles and lived there until I was in the fourth grade," he said. "I still have family there."
During his campaign, Luna promised to focus on five priorities:
Reducing violent crime
Addressing homelessness
Restoring public trust and accountability
Reforming and modernizing the Sheriff's Department
And improving deputy and employee wellness
For more election results click here.