Robert Luna defeats Villanueva to win reelection as LA County sheriff, NBCLA projects

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna won reelection, defeating former Sheriff Alex Villanueva whom he had defeated four years ago, NBC Los Angeles projected Tuesday.

Among the ballots counted as of Tuesday night, Luna won over 70% of the votes, compared to Villanueva’s 30%.

Luna, who finished the June primary in first place but did not win the race outright, emphasized crime in Los Angeles County has dropped significantly while he’s been in office.

The sheriff also said he’s working on improving transparency, eliminating cultural problems within the sheriff’s department and reducing the number of times deputies use force of duty.

Villanueva attempted to reclaim his seat by claiming the law enforcement agency has “fallen apart” under Luna’s leadership and pointing to a shortage of deputies as one of the problems.