The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is a beast of an agency. It runs the largest jail system in the world, patrols hundreds of miles of unincorporated territory, and manages a multibillion-dollar budget that would make some small countries jealous. It’s also an office that has been defined by drama, deputy gangs, and a revolving door of leadership for the last decade.
Right now, incumbent Robert Luna is trying to prove that his "quiet" approach to reform is working. But he isn't walking to a second term. He's staring down nine challengers who think he’s either moving too slow or moving in the wrong direction entirely. This isn't just another local election; it’s a referendum on how we police nearly 10 million people.
The incumbent under fire
Robert Luna won in 2022 because voters were tired of the "war" between former Sheriff Alex Villanueva and basically everyone else in county government. Luna promised to be the adult in the room. He pointed to a 25% drop in homicides and a similar 25% decrease in deputy use of force during his first couple of years as proof that his "relationship-based" policing works.
But being the adult in the room is boring, and in politics, boring can be dangerous. Critics argue that while the headlines have calmed down, the systemic issues—like the shadow of deputy gangs and the crumbling state of the jails—haven't changed enough. He’s running on a platform of "stability," which is great if you think things are stable. If you don't, it sounds a lot like an excuse for the status quo.
The ghost of elections past
The most recognizable name on the ballot besides Luna is Alex Villanueva. It’s rare for a defeated incumbent to come back for a rematch, but Villanueva isn't exactly a guy who goes away quietly. He still has a dedicated base of supporters who miss his "us against the world" mentality and his aggressive stance on homelessness and "woke" policies.
Villanueva’s pitch is simple: the county has gone to seed under Luna and the Board of Supervisors, and only a "real" sheriff can fix it. It’s a polarizing strategy. You either love his brash style or you think he’s the reason the department needed a reboot in the first place.
The field of challengers
It’s not just a two-man race. The other eight candidates represent a mix of department veterans and outsiders who think the LASD needs a complete overhaul.
- Eric Strong: A retired division chief who finished third in the 2022 primary. He’s often viewed as the most progressive candidate in the bunch, focusing heavily on ending the deputy gang culture and radically changing how the department interacts with marginalized communities.
- Oscar Martinez: A current Lieutenant at the Palmdale station. He’s leaning into a "law and order" platform, suggesting that the current leadership is too soft on crime.
- Andre White: A detective with 11 years in the department. He’s pushing for "ground-up" leadership. He wants to move administrative power out of the fancy offices and back into the field. He’s also big on hiring people from the communities they actually patrol.
- Mike Bornman: A retired captain with 36 years of experience. He’s positioning himself as the "integrity" candidate, banking on his long record of internal investigations and work with hate crime prevention.
- Sonia Montejano: A retired senior deputy known to many from her time as the bailiff on "Judge Judy." She’s an outsider in the sense that she isn't part of the current administrative "clique," but she knows the department's bones.
The rest of the field, including Karla Carranza, Brian Warren, and Brendan Corbett, adds even more layers of internal departmental perspective. Having this many people from inside the department running against their own boss tells you a lot about the morale at the LASD right now.
Why the June primary is the real hurdle
California uses a nonpartisan "top-two" system. This means all candidates appear on the June 2 primary ballot regardless of party. If one person gets more than 50% of the vote, they win outright. But with ten people in the race? That’s almost impossible.
Basically, the June primary is a massive elimination round. The top two finishers will move on to the general election in November. If Luna and Villanueva both make the cut, we’re in for a grueling six-month sequel to the 2022 campaign. If an "outsider" like Eric Strong or a veteran like Mike Bornman manages to snag that second spot, the dynamic of the entire race changes overnight.
What's actually at stake
Don't let the campaign slogans fool you. This race is about three things:
- The Jails: The federal government has been breathing down the LASD’s neck for years over the treatment of mentally ill inmates. The next sheriff has to figure out how to fix a broken system without a magic pile of money.
- Deputy Gangs: Whether you call them "cliques" or "gangs," these secret societies within the department are a massive liability. Luna says he’s addressing it; his challengers say he’s just hiding it.
- The Budget Battle: The Sheriff’s Department and the Board of Supervisors are constantly at each other's throats over funding. A sheriff who can't play nice with the people who hold the purse strings will find themselves with a department that can't afford to keep the lights on.
What you should do next
Don't just look at the names on the signs. If you live in L.A. County, your first step is checking your voter registration status at the Secretary of State’s website. Ballots for the June 2 primary usually start hitting mailboxes about a month early.
Take 20 minutes to look up the candidate statements. Most of these challengers have websites that lay out their specific plans for the jail system and patrol staffing. If you care about how your neighborhood is patrolled or how your tax dollars are spent on legal settlements, this is the one race on your ballot you can't afford to skip. The L.A. County Sheriff is one of the most powerful elected officials in California. Treat your vote like it.
