Robert Luna led Alex Villanueva by a wide margin in early returns Tuesday in the Los Angeles County sheriff race. Luna said Tuesday evening that he was holding off on declaring victory even as the first results put him well ahead of his challenger.
In a phone interview Tuesday evening, Luna said he was “extremely optimistic.” He added, “It sounds like the voters really did their homework comparing my opponent to me,” and, “I really want to thank the voters in L.A. County.”
Los Angeles County sheriff race
The contest is a rematch of the 2022 race, when Luna successfully challenged Villanueva for reelection and Villanueva lost the job. Villanueva was seeking to regain it, while Luna remained in the role as the early count came in.
Luna also said, “If you google both of us and look at his four-year term compared to my term, there’s no comparison.” Villanueva and a spokesperson for his campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday evening.
Luna and Villanueva record
Luna pointed to the department’s handling of World Cup security and the Trump administration’s deployment of federal immigration agents and troops to L.A. He also faced the department during the Eaton and Palisades fires, while Villanueva’s time in office included the outset of COVID.
The next four years would bring more pressure either way. The Olympic Games are less than two years away, and the department is expected to play a major role in keeping millions of visitors and athletes safe.
Olympic Games pressure
Ballot count will decide whether Luna can turn the early margin into a final win, but Tuesday’s returns showed him in the stronger position as the race moved deeper into counting.
