Villanueva for the Sheriff 2026 Committee has registered with the Secretary of State’s office, but it is unclear whether this means former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is planning to challenge incumbent Robert Luna and return to the office.
Luna defeated Villanueva from 59.8% to 40.2% on November 8, 2022.
The application for the new Campaign Finance Committee was reported Saturday by the Los Angeles Times. This quotes Villanueva in an email saying, “There’s something available next week.”
It was unclear when the submission was submitted.
In 2018, Villanueva defeated Jim McDonnell, the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department after a term. He also became a first term sheriff four years later after a repeated clash with the Democrats’ dominant oversight committee, funding and policy issues, and the agency’s private oversight committee.
The former supporter also criticized Villain Eva for abandoning the reform platform shortly after he acquired the office and for doing nothing to cut down on the so-called sub-gangs.
In his 2022 concession speech, Villanueva denounced his critics for pushing what he called “false stories” about his leadership.
“One thing I’ve learned… is that speaking the truth to power is not without risk,” he told supporters. “Because I have faced adversity throughout my career in law enforcement, I have always spoken the truth to power and have never hit my eyes.
“If there is someone who somehow thinks we are defeated and is totally against it, we walk from here with our heads high.
In April, Oscar Martinez, Sheriff’s Palmdale Station, announced plans to challenge Luna in 2026.
“I put everything I worked on the line, not for my career and personal interests, but for my law enforcement partners and for the future of public safety in our community,” said Martinez, who has been in the department for over 16 years.
Martinez was particularly critical of Luna because he didn’t do enough to defend Deputy Trevor James Kirk, who was convicted of excessive force for attacking and pepper spraying women during the 2023 conflict outside the Lancaster supermarket.
Earlier this year, Luna announced she was seeking re-election, citing reduced crime and increased transparency as her key achievements.
“Under my leadership, LASD has also improved compliance related to prisons and Antelope Valley settlements, increasing community involvement and outreach,” he said in a statement on the website. “My bottom line: As sheriffs, our services must always be effective, respectful, empathetic and constitutional.”
Source link
