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LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has officially announced that he will run in the 2026 race for the position he held.
Reports that appeared last weekend showed that Villanueva had registered a campaign committee for the race, but he confirmed the announcement of his candidacy on Wednesday.
“The rumours are true. We’re running again for the Los Angeles County sheriff,” Villanueva said in a press release.
Villanueva, LA County’s 33rd Sheriff’s Office between 2018 and 2022, said one of the main reasons he’s running again was due to “failure in leadership” across the county.
“In the past few years, Los Angeles County has seen the consequences of leadership failures not only in the Sheriff’s Department but across the local government,” Villanueva said. “The promises made in 2022 have been replaced by harsh consequences: more than a quarter of the workforce, the ongoing departure of experienced personnel, the tragedy of the deaths during side suicide and compromise.” ”
On September 10, 2020, File Photography Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva will speak at a press conference in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, file)
The former Shelf lamented that “lawlessness has become a new normal” across the county, and that he wants to bring back “stable and proven leadership” to all residents.
“On our streets, there’s a new normal where street buy-ups, looting, organized robbery crews terrorizing our community, and outlaws have become a new normal,” he said. “Families feel unsafe and deputies feel unsupported. Now is the time to bring back steady, proven leadership to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.”
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“We must rescue this department from the paralysis of dysfunction, return it to full power, and restore its ability to fight, resolve and prevent crime,” he continued. “It includes ensuring that we can respond quickly to disasters and emergencies, and can harm and evacuate vulnerable residents when every second is counted.”
Overall, Villanueva said he aims to “deprive politics from public safety” in its 2026 campaign.
“This campaign is about building a safer and more powerful future,” he said. “I’ve been following this path before and have come back with a broader experience, a deeper commitment to people who deserve better.”
Villanueva was engaged in November 2022 by former Chief of Long Beach Police Department Robert Luna, who was the head of the nation’s largest sheriff’s office.
During his tenure, Villanueva faced widespread criticism of legal battles and departmental controversies, including alleged deputy gangs, but he long argued that they were not there. Once elected, Luna took a “zero tolerance” stance on the alleged deputy gang and appointed an independent office to investigate them.
Villanueva has been active publicly since his departure, and has frequently gained heavy weight on law enforcement and county politics through social media and broadcast appearances.
Luna, who took office after beating Villanueva in a devastating election, has already declared her intention to seek re-election in 2026.
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