Luna leads – Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna opened early ahead of former Sheriff Alex Villanueva in the race for the county’s top law enforcement job, raising the stakes for whether the contest ends outright or heads back to a runoff.
Robert Luna was already pulling ahead when the early results came in Tuesday night, jumping out over former Sheriff Alex Villanueva, the man who led the fight against him last time for Los Angeles County’s top law enforcement post.
If Luna ultimately clears more than 50% of the vote. he would win outright and serve a second term leading the largest sheriff’s department in the U.S. If he finishes below the 50% threshold. the race is likely to return to a runoff format. setting up another chapter between Luna and Villanueva that mirrors their 2022 face-off. when Villanueva was unseated by a 61% to 39% margin.
The tone of this election has been quieter than the last. Luna mostly avoided major controversies during his term. a contrast to Villanueva. whose tenure featured clashes with elected officials and journalists and included multiple lawsuits. There were also no public debates that put the leading candidates on the same stage. and no public polling was done.
Ahead of primary day, Luna framed the campaign around his leadership and a record he said included reducing violent crimes and homicides. He also said he rebuilt relationships with county leaders and others that he said had been fractured under Villanueva.
Villanueva, meanwhile, went after the sheriff’s record on the job. He criticized Luna for plunging the department into “chaos and dysfunction,” and blamed Luna for the department’s struggles to retain deputies. Luna rejected the criticism, describing both Villanueva’s claims as unfounded.
By 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Retired sheriff’s Lt. Eric Strong was in third place—exactly where he was when he ran four years ago. Sgt. Karla Carranza, who has worked for the department for more than two decades, followed Strong.
Oscar Martinez, who joined the sheriff’s department after fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, was in fifth place. He was followed by Capt. Mike Bornman, who has decades of experience at the sheriff’s department. Andre White, a detective with about a dozen years at the department, was in seventh.
In last place was Brendan Corbett, a former assistant sheriff for custody operations.
The emerging numbers keep the central question close to the surface: whether Luna can reach a decisive majority and close this out now, or whether Villanueva can force the election back into a runoff once again—restarting a rivalry that already produced a high-stakes upset in 2022.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna Alex Villanueva sheriff's race primary results runoff violent crime homicides deputy retention
So Luna is up early? Guess that means it’s basically over unless the votes magically change last minute.
No debates and no polling?? That’s wild. People can’t even get basic info and somehow we’re just supposed to pick a sheriff.
Wait I thought Villanueva already lost 61-39 in 2022… so why are we acting like this is some comeback story? Also “under 50% = runoff” seems rigged like the system wants drama or something.
The article says Luna avoided controversies but then Villanueva blames him for chaos and losing deputies… idk, it’s always the same. And all the numbers showing other people like Eric Strong in third just makes me feel like nobody cares except these two. If Luna doesn’t hit 50% I guess everyone’s stuck with another runoff and we’ll get more talking points and lawsuits again.