Luna set to continue leading LA Sheriff’s Department

In a very contested race, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna won the bid for a second term to lead the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (LASD), the largest department in the nation. 

The Associated Press called the race on Tuesday night, with unofficial results showing Luna leading with just over 70% of votes and Villanueva at 29%.

Incumbent Luna started leading the LASD in 2022 after defeating Villanueva in his 2021 reelection, 61% to 39%. 

Luna said he will honor his campaign promises of continuing to work on his five top priorities: reduce violent crime, increase public trust, modernize the department, address homelessness and improve deputy and employee wellness. 

During his first term, Luna said the department increased transparency by outfitting deputies in L.A. County jails with body-worn cameras for the first time and by releasing body-camera video in a timely manner. The department also created a new public dashboard with crime statistics, including use 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.

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.​