Former Sheriff Alex Villanueva to run for seat on LA County Board of Supervisors

Former L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced he is running for a seat on the county's Board of Supervisors, a government body that he often clashed with during his time leading the sheriff's department.

Villanueva made the announcement during an interview Tuesday night, saying he'll run against incumbent Supervisor Janice Hahn in the March primary.

Hahn has held the District 4 seat since 2016 and was re-elected in 2020.

Villanueva held a press conference Wednesday and explained why he chose to run.

"The Board of Supervisors has a responsibility to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the county - all the residents," he said. "In that regard, they have failed absolutely, miserably. I cannot find a measure of success in any activity the board has engaged in."

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As sheriff, Villanueva clashed repeatedly with the board. He was accused of ignoring oversight and accountability, disregarding subpoenas to appear before the county Civilian Oversight Commission.

If Villanueva is able to win the election, he would work directly with those supervisors and current L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna, who beat him in last year's election.

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In a statement Wednesday morning, Hahn's campaign called Villanueva a "fraud and a failure."

"L.A. County voters - including District 4 - resoundingly rejected the man known as the 'Donald Trump of L.A. County' last November for his incompetence and corruption. L.A. County became less safe under Villanueva's reign. He is a fraud and a failure, and L.A. County voters won't be fooled again."