Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna is running for a second term in the Nov. 3 general election. He faces Alex Villanueva in the nonpartisan race.

Luna has held the office since 2022, according to BallotReady.

Candidate information

  • Party: Nonpartisan
  • Education: Master of public administration from California State University, Long Beach, according to his campaign website
  • Education: Graduate of the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University, according to his campaign website
  • Education: Graduate of the Delinquency Control Institute at the University of Southern California, according to his campaign website
  • Education: Graduate of the FBI National Executive Institute and National Academy, according to his campaign website
  • Personal background: Born and raised in East Los Angeles to Mexican immigrant parents, Luna said growing up in a neighborhood patrolled by the Sheriff's Department shaped his philosophy on relationship-based policing in communities of color, according to his campaign website

Experience and public service

Luna said he joined the Long Beach Police Department as a reserve officer in 1985 and rose through all ranks over a nearly three-decade career, according to his campaign website. He said he became the first Latino chief of the Long Beach Police Department. BallotReady lists his start in the role as 2014. Luna also served as an executive board member of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, according to his campaign website.

On the issues

Public safety priorities: Luna said he has five priorities for the Sheriff's Department: reduce violent crime, increase public trust, modernize the department, address homelessness and improve deputy and employee wellness, according to his campaign website. His campaign does not detail specific funding plans or timelines for these goals.

Policing philosophy: Luna said service must always be "effective, respectful, empathetic, and constitutional." He said he created the Office of Constitutional Policing and implemented a policy banning law enforcement gangs to increase public trust, according to his campaign website.

Immigration enforcement: Luna said the department will not initiate immigration enforcement or ask about people's immigration status but could help federal agencies under certain circumstances, according to the Daily Bruin.

Endorsements

Luna has received endorsements from elected officials, labor groups and law enforcement organizations, according to the Los Angeles Times and BallotReady:

  • All five LA County supervisors
  • U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, Democrat of California
  • Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs
  • LA County Chief Police Chiefs Association
  • LA County Federation of Labor
  • Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
  • Heart of LA Democratic Club
  • Democrats for Neighborhood Action
  • Democrats for Israel Los Angeles

Candidate positions are based on Luna's campaign website and responses reported by the Daily Bruin. The Pasadena Ledger did not interview the candidate for this profile.