Alex Villanueva, who served as the 33rd sheriff of Los Angeles County from 2018 to 2022, is running to reclaim the office in the Nov. 3 general election. The nonpartisan race pits him against Robert G. Luna, according to BallotReady. The sheriff's department provides law enforcement to unincorporated areas and contract cities across the county, and the race will appear on Pasadena voters' ballots.
Villanueva says he is running under the slogan "Rescue, Rebuild, Restore," emphasizing what he calls a firm law-and-order approach, according to his responses in a FOX 11 Los Angeles candidate questionnaire.
Candidate information
- Party: Nonpartisan (Villanueva became a Republican in 2025, having previously been a Democrat, according to his Wikipedia biography)
- Born: 1963, Chicago, Illinois
- Education: Associate's degree in liberal arts, San Bernardino Valley College (1986); bachelor's degree in liberal arts, Excelsior College; master's degree in public administration, California State University Northridge; doctorate in public administration, University of La Verne
Experience and public service
Villanueva describes himself as a 36-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, according to his campaign website. He joined the department in 1986 as a deputy sheriff and rose through the ranks, serving as a sergeant from 2000 to 2011 and as a lieutenant from 2011 to 2018, according to his Wikipedia biography.
He was elected sheriff in 2018. His campaign says he was the first challenger in over a century to unseat an incumbent sheriff.
Before joining the department, Villanueva served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, California Air National Guard and California Army National Guard from 1983 to 1993. He also served as an adjunct professor at California State University Long Beach from 2006 to 2010, according to BallotReady.
On the issues
Staffing and recruitment: Villanueva says he would reverse current staffing shortages. He points to his first year in office, when he says he hired 1,100 deputies, and pledges to hire 2,000 new deputies in two years. He says he intends to restore what he calls a "merit-based system" over political patronage.
Public safety: Villanueva cites his past raids on illegal cannabis grows, deployment of resources during the 2020 civil unrest and clearing of major homeless encampments without use of force as examples of his approach.
Immigration enforcement: Villanueva said people in jail who are in the country illegally should be deported. He told the Daily News, "Let's stop playing games here, and let's not get involved in obstructing federal immigration." He added he would rather have federal agents figure it out in the jail than chasing people through car washes or strawberry fields.
Budget: During his tenure as sheriff, Villanueva claims to have converted a $101 million budget deficit into a $74 million surplus.
Endorsements
Villanueva has been endorsed by the following, according to the Daily News and BallotReady:
- Los Angeles Sheriff's Professional Association
- Los Angeles County GOP
Candidate positions are based on questionnaire responses and campaign materials.
