Sheriff Robert Luna’s glossy 2026 endorsement page reads exactly as you’d expect, packed with labor unions, business chambers, Democratic clubs, and every member of the Board of Supervisors. Nothing surprising there. But look closer and the real story jumps off the page: it’s also stacked with the same political factions that spent years attacking law enforcement, pushing “reimagine public safety,” and gutting public safety from the inside out.
At the same time, the unions representing the rank-and-file deputies overwhelmingly back former Sheriff Alex Villanueva. That contrast isn’t subtle. It’s the entire story.
Start with the Board of Supervisors, Lindsey Horvath, Holly Mitchell, Hilda Solis, Janice Hahn, and Kathryn Barger, all proudly listed as Luna supporters. These are the architects of “Care First” budgets that redirected millions away from enforcement into social experiments. They championed Measure J, diverting hundreds of millions into “alternatives” while crime surged. Horvath, Mitchell, Solis, and Hahn have consistently pushed policies that tie the hands of deputies. And even Barger, often positioned as the moderate, has ultimately gone along with it.
Under Luna, this board isn’t overseeing the Sheriff’s Department, they’re effectively running it. Insiders say Luna defers on the decisions that matter: budgets, contracts, priorities. The largest sheriff’s department in the country reduced to a political extension of the Board.
And Luna hasn’t exactly hidden where he stands. In his own words, he’s called former DA George Gascón his “mentor and friend.” This is the same DA whose policies dismantled prosecutions and reshaped the system into a revolving door. His inner circle included figures like Mario Trujillo, tied to backchannel plea deals that blindsided prosecutors and victims’ families. Luna didn’t distance himself from that world, he embraced it.
Then come the political clubs rounding out his endorsements. Groups like the East Area Progressive Democrats, led by Civilian Oversight Commission insider Hans Johnson, along with organizations that have long pushed anti-deputy narratives and amplified “defund” rhetoric. These aren’t neutral players suddenly concerned with public safety. They’re backing Luna because his leadership aligns with their agenda.
And the results speak for themselves. The department is hemorrhaging deputies, over 1,700 vacancies. Recruitment has collapsed. Academy classes are shrinking. Experienced deputies are leaving for agencies that actually support them. Morale is gutted. Overtime is through the roof. Response times are slipping. While all of this unfolds, Luna leans into PR messaging and surface-level fixes while the foundation erodes.
Now contrast that with Villanueva. He’s earned the endorsement of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Professional Association with 81.5% support from the deputies themselves. That’s not a political PR strategy – that’s the workforce speaking.
Meanwhile, ALADS and PPOA/POPA, the unions representing the majority of the department, have shut their own members out of the process entirely. This wasn’t oversight. It was intentional. Sources say the reason is simple: the numbers wouldn’t favor Luna, and leadership didn’t want that reality exposed. For deputies, that’s not just politics—it’s a calculated betrayal, especially in light of a pattern of deeply questionable leadership decisions:
• Lack of Advocacy on Critical Issues: ALADS leadership has remained largely silent on Sheriff Luna’s policies and the resulting work environment, which have been linked to 16 suicides within the department and widespread burnout among rank-and-file members.
• Misleading Claims About Board Workload: ALADS has claimed that its board directors work under the same conditions as line staff. According to sources, board members are not subject to the 80–120 hours of forced overtime routinely required of new deputies and frontline personnel.
• Questionable Coordination with Sheriff Luna: Reports indicate that months ago, ALADS and POPA leadership attended a retreat with a contractor hand-picked by Sheriff Luna. According to sources familiar with the discussions, Steve James reportedly advised both unions against issuing any endorsements in the sheriff’s race to prevent embarrassment to Sheriff Luna from unfavorable membership polling results.
• ALADS granted Lindsey Horvath an interview for endorsement, and potential financial support in what appears to have been a backroom arrangement tied to arbitration efforts before the Board of Supervisors. The associated ballot measure is widely expected to fail in November, leaving members without meaningful relief on compensation while shielding Horvath from accountability for failing to deliver raises. Notably, Horvath previously supported efforts to remove deputies from West Hollywood and hired the daughter of a Los Angeles Times figure into a public safety role amid those defunding initiatives, actions that have contributed to ongoing challenges in the area.
• Ineffective and Costly Political Spending: ALADS has not disputed the financial figures and outcomes publicly presented by Nick Wilson. The union has spent millions of dollars on Board of Supervisors races, yet members have seen no tangible benefits. Instead, the BOS has pursued policies that defunded the department, labeled deputies as “gang members,” and imposed extreme overtime demands (including back-to-back doubles and up to 120 hours per month), exacerbating mental health issues and driving experienced personnel out of the department.
• Irresponsible Use of Member Dues: The substantial sums directed toward political contributions—funds belonging to dues-paying members, appear irresponsible. Many members have expressed concern that this spending helped install and sustain Sheriff Robert Luna’s leadership, which has been widely criticized for severely damaging department morale, operations, and effectiveness.
• Failure to Push Back Against Anti-Law Enforcement Rhetoric: ALADS leadership, including figures such as Eli, has been notably silent while the Board of Supervisors, oversight bodies, and Sheriff Luna have publicly referred to deputies as “gang members” and criminals.
• Support for 2020 “Reimagine Public Safety” Efforts: In 2020, the Board of Supervisors advanced initiatives to defund and shrink the Sheriff’s Department as part of a broader “reimagining” of public safety. Sheriff Luna operates under the direction of the BOS, raising serious questions about whether continued support for this leadership structure serves the best interests of frontline deputies.
• Lack of Transparency on Political Expenditures: Despite public statements emphasizing transparency, ALADS President Tony Meraz reportedly did not survey or seek approval from the membership before directing funds to politicians and groups that have spent years demonizing law enforcement. Meraz has publicly expressed pride in these partnerships despite the absence of measurable positive results for ALADS members.
These points highlight concerns regarding ALADS’s alignment with membership priorities, stewardship of dues, and effectiveness in advocating for working deputies. Members deserve leadership that prioritizes their safety, compensation, and working conditions above political relationships.
Luna’s endorsement list may look broad, but it’s carefully curated with labor groups who have fully abandoned their membership, and are now full fledged social justice warriors.
Business interests supporting Luna are more concerned with securing contracts with county government than the safety of their own communities, and political activists betting on a compliant sheriff. But the absence of true law enforcement support says more than any endorsement ever could.
In stark contrast, Villanueva’s record doesn’t need spin, it speaks for itself. He challenged the Board when it mattered, refused to bend to progressive donor pressure, and never traded principle for political favor. When the pressure came, and it did, he stood his ground and stood with his deputies.
Los Angeles County doesn’t need a sheriff who answers to political pressure. It needs one who can rebuild a department, restore morale, and back the people doing the job every day.
This isn’t a complicated choice. It’s a clear one.
