The Los Angeles County sheriff’s primary election may be nine months away, but the field to unseat Sheriff Robert Luna is growing by the day.

Luna has faced criticism that he is ineffective, uninspiring, and too secretive. The six candidates already in line to replace him have not held back on their criticism and say it’s time to crack down on crime. 

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Former Sheriff Alex Villaneuva, a lifelong Democrat turned registered Republican earlier this year, told the Los Angeles Times he’s ready for a rematch against Luna, who beat him in 2022. Villaneuva said he’s eager to take the reins now that “there are prosecutors ready to prosecute.” 

His comments are a nod to the tough-on-crime stances of Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman and acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who was appointed to his post by President Donald Trump. Hochman easily defeated his predecessor, George Gascon, in 2024, with voters sending a clear message that four years under “the godfather of progressive policies” had failed them, sowed distrust, and made them feel as though the district attorney’s office had turned its back on victims. 

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“The status quo is failing miserably the people of L.A. County,” said Villaneua, who held the sheriff’s post from 2018 to 2022. “I just can’t believe what Luna’s done to the organization I’ve spent my entire adult life in.”

Villaneuva comes with his own baggage, though. He’s been criticized for his combative personal style and has faced multiple allegations of abuse and corruption. He made headlines for lashing out at politicians, journalists, community leaders, whistleblowers, watchdogs, and even other men and women in blue who tried calling out problems in his department. 

“Does Villaneuva have a lane to come back? I don’t think so,” Sara Sadhwani, an assistant professor of politics at Pomona College, said. 

California political expert Rich Minten told the Washington Examiner he wouldn’t bet on Villaneuva either. “People remember what it was like under him,” Minten said. “He can talk a big game now, but it’s unlikely the voters will welcome [him] back with open arms.”

Luna also doesn’t seem too rattled by Villaneuva’s campaign, or, for that matter, the rest of the competition.  

“Not one of those individuals that is running comes close to the experience that I have and the accomplishments that I’ve had so far,” Luna said. “There were a lot of controversies and scandals with the previous sheriff that, again, eroded public trust.” 

Another contender who entered the race after coming in third behind Luna and Villaneuva is Lt. Eric Strong. He’s pitching himself as the anti-Luna and Villaneuva candidate. 

Strong has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience and was seen as the most progressive of the 2022 candidates vying for the job. 

“What really got me interested in running is seeing the continued failed leadership within the department,” Strong said in a recent interview. “Nothing’s changed.… Honestly, Luna’s just a quieter version of Alex Villanueva.”

Another Republican candidate who believes he’s up for the challenge is Lt. Oscar Martinez.

“I am putting my career and everything that I’ve worked for on the line, not for personal gain but for my partners in law enforcement as well as for the future of public safety in our communities,” he said at his campaign kickoff event. “Radical agendas have taken [over] our schools, many of our city governments, our county board, our state leadership, and, sadly, they are now dismantling law enforcement from within.”

Martinez, a Marine veteran, said he wants to bring real change to the department and believes Luna is just treading water. 

“He’s not doing anything, so anyone can do a better job than him,” Martinez told Fox 11. “He’s been there for three years. There’s no solid policy changes in the department. We have not had any innovation in the last three years. The last technology advancement that we had was five years ago, the body-worn cameras. Our deputies in the age of artificial intelligence are still handwriting reports. Our deputies are working multiple shifts, back-to-back doubles, as we call them. That’s 16 hours, eight hours off, 16 hours. Something needs to be changed, and I don’t see Robert Luna making any changes.”

Other candidates ready to take Luna on include Brendan Corbett, who served as assistant sheriff for custody under Villaneuva, and 34-year-old Andre White.

White, the youngest candidate, has a little over a decade of experience. He said his two years at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, seven years at the Carson Sheriff Station as both a patrol deputy and training officer, and one year as a detective have prepared him to “lead with accountability, fairness, and a commitment to safe communities across Los Angeles County.”

If elected sheriff, White said he would take a “community-oriented approach” to the job. 

The final candidate so far is Capt. Mike Bornman, a 33-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Borman, who lists a “comprehensive forensic audit” of the department’s books as a top priority, has no problems calling out his boss. 

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After California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) filed a lawsuit against the LA County Sheriff’s Department earlier this month for deplorable conditions in county jails, including broken and overflowing toilets, rat and roach infestations, no clean water for drinking or bathing, and a laundry list of other concerns, Bornman turned to social media.

He asked, “What in the world has the current sheriff been doing to address this issue? Sounds like plenty of nothing.”