Luna wins second term as Los Angeles County sheriff

Luna will lead the nation’s largest sheriff’s department for another term after defeating Villanueva, whom he unseated in 2022. The Associated Press called the race on November 3, with early results showing Luna well ahead.

Luna wins as scrutiny of L.A. County jails continues

Luna won reelection as Los Angeles County sheriff, defeating former sheriff Alex Villanueva in a rematch of their 2022 contest. With 55% of votes counted, Luna had 70% to Villanueva’s 30%, and the Associated Press called the race on November 3.

The result keeps in place a sheriff who has emphasized crime reduction and internal reforms, but his next term begins amid serious questions about the department’s treatment of people in its jails. The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into conditions at Men’s Central Jail, and California’s attorney general sued last year over alleged inhumane and unconstitutional conditions in county jails.

The department also faces allegations of excessive force, concerns about deputy gangs, staffing pressures and friction with the county’s civilian oversight commission. Those issues make accountability central to the job, alongside the challenge of preparing for security at the 2028 Olympic Games.

Early returns also showed county voters favoring Measure A, which would give public safety employees binding arbitration if contract talks reach an impasse. Measure E, which would establish an independent ethics commission and address funding for alternatives to incarceration, was also ahead. Neither early lead settles the broader questions of how the county will oversee law enforcement and maintain alternatives to jail.

Luna wins another term amid debate over crime and staffing

Los Angeles County voters returned Sheriff Robert Luna to office, rejecting former sheriff Alex Villanueva’s bid to reclaim the job. With 55% of votes counted, Luna led 70% to 30%, and the Associated Press called the race on November 3.

The contest put public safety and the department’s condition at the center of the choice. Villanueva argued that the county had become more dangerous under Luna and accused him of being too permissive toward drug users, homeless people and petty criminals. He also said staffing and morale had deteriorated and that deputies were leaving in large numbers.

Luna countered that violent crime had fallen during his tenure and disputed the claim that deputies were fleeing. He pointed to changes intended to speed up hiring, including an outside contractor for background checks and a route for some recruits to move from the academy to patrol without first serving in a jail.

The next sheriff will face pressure to recruit and retain personnel, manage rising overtime costs and help secure the 2028 Olympic Games. Early returns also favored Measure A, which would put contract disputes with public safety unions into binding arbitration, and Measure E, concerning an ethics commission and funding for alternatives to incarceration.