The race for the LA Sheriff's seat: Robert Luna vs. Alex Villanueva

Ballots are already being mailed and several vote centers in L.A. County are open to vote early for the midterm elections on Nov. 3. However, many people are still undecided on who to vote for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's seat.

The L.A. County Sheriff's Department (LASD) is the largest in the nation, with about 17,000 sworn and professional staff. The two top candidates who won the primaries in June are current Sheriff Robert Luna and former Sheriff Alex Villanueva.  

While in the primary, Luna ended up at the top of the list of six candidates, he didn’t secure the majority of votes, meaning he’s still not the favorite. Luna received 44.6% of the total electoral vote. Villanueva, who served as LA County Sheriff from 2018 to 2022, finished second with 22.3%. 

The remaining 32% of the votes went to the other candidates, which indicates that at least 552,300 voters will decide between Villanueva and Luna in this election. 

In 2021, Luna defeated Villanueva, winning 61% to 39%. 

Robert Luna

Incumbent Robert Luna is the 34th sheriff in the history of the county. In his answers to Ballotpedia, Luna said that since he took office to lead LASD, violent crime has fallen and homicides are down 25% since 2023.

Villanueva said he has worked on a plan to make the Metro system safer for everyone. This includes adopting new policies and law enforcement staffing, enforcing fare evasion and targeting narcotics, which led to fewer incidents of violent crime.

Luna said the department has increased transparency by outfitting deputies in L.A. County jails with body-worn cameras for the first time and timely releases of body-camera video. The department also created a new public dashboard with crime stats, including uses of force, taser usage, stops and personnel complaints, all of which can be found on the department’s website.

“Under my leadership, LASD has also improved compliance related to the jails and Antelope Valley settlements and increased community engagement and outreach,” he said in Ballotpedia.

On his website for reelection, Luna identifies himself as a son of a poor Latino immigrant family. He grew up in unincorporated East Los Angeles and said he saw examples of both good and bad policing, which inspired him to become an officer. This shaped his philosophy of relationship-based policing specifically in communities of color.​

​Prior to becoming sheriff, Luna served seven years as Long Beach chief of police, capping a 36-year career at the Long Beach Police Department, the county’s second-largest police department.

Luna hopes to get reelected to continue working on his five top priorities: reduce violent crime, increase public trust, modernize the department, address homelessness and improve deputy and employee wellness. 

“My bottom line: as Sheriff, our service must always be effective, respectful, empathetic and constitutional,” Luna said. 

Alex Villanueva

Villanueva spent 36 years with the LASD and 10 years in the military, including active duty in the Air Force and the National Guard.

Now on his second try to become sheriff, Villanueva said he will hire 2,000 deputies in two years to rebuild the workforce he created when he was first elected. 

In a video to promote his reelection, Villanueva said he is committed to continuing his first term plan from 2018 to rescue, rebuild and restore the county. 

“I’m running because families deserve safe neighborhoods, because deputies deserve leadership that has their back, because the truth matters,” he said. 

Villanueva claims that about 24% of vacancies of sworn and professional staff in the LASD are mainly due to accelerated retirements, burnout and mandatory overtime.  

“As sheriff, I act independently on behalf of the residents of Los Angeles County. I do not take orders from the White House, Sacramento or the Board of Supervisors,” he said. “Elected directly from the community, I am accountable and responsive to the community, not beholden to politicians.”

During his first term as sheriff, Villanueva had constant clashes with the Board of Supervisors, who are in charge of financial, administrative and oversight of the department. 

Villanueva said he will honor SB 54 – the law that prevents local law enforcement from aiding immigration officers – and ensure undocumented criminals are transferred to immigration authorities upon the expiration of local charges. 

“I will not detain anyone without a valid arrest warrant, regardless of citizenship status,” he said. “Local law enforcement and federal immigration agents have vital jobs to do, however local law enforcement has no place in enforcing federal immigration law. They must function separately.”

Villanueva was born in Chicago, Ill to a Puerto Rican father and Polish mother. He has been married for over 28 years to his wife, a retired deputy, and has a son who also works at the LASD.