Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is looking for a new job—as an LA County Supervisor. He announced Tuesday that he is running for the all-powerful board and hopes to unseat incumbent Janice Hahn in the 4th District.
Tuesday, we brought you the story of Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor Pro Tem John Cruikshank, who is also running for the position.
As I wrote in that piece, many people don’t even know who their supervisor is despite the board’s immense power:
The Board of Supervisors [BOS] is the governing body of the County of Los Angeles, a charter county. As such, it has the unique function of serving as the executive and legislative head of the largest and most complex county government in the entire United States.
Villanueva, who came up short in his bid for reelection as Sheriff to Robert Luna in November 2022, sat down with Fox 11 Los Angeles’ Marla Tellez to describe what he would bring to the table:
“My constituency includes anyone who actually cares about the County”
— MarlaTellez (@MarlaTellez) September 13, 2023
Former Sheriff Alex Villanueva announces his run to challenge @SupJaniceHahn for L.A. County Board of Supervisors, 4th District.
CC: @AlexVilanueva33 @LACountyBOS pic.twitter.com/ijvMBmru5G
Like Cruikshank, Villaneuva decried the lawlessness that’s become everyday life in LA County:
…the government is responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of all the county residents, and in that regard, the Board has failed miserably.
All you have to do is look at the news every day, you're assaulted by images of violent crime, smash-and-grab robberies, senseless wanton violence.
He knows of what he speaks:
TORRANCE CALIFORNIA—Approximately 1,000 juveniles swarmed the Del Amo Mall on Sunday, starting fights and causing a massive disturbance.
— Amiri King (@AmiriKing) August 28, 2023
There was also a report of gunfire.
It took several hours for the crowd to disperse while city officials warned the public to steer clear of… pic.twitter.com/gbN1fVSUec
Tellez pointed out that Janice Hahn comes from a family with a long history in Los Angeles politics and that the building the Board meets in is the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, which is named after her father who served as a county supervisor for 40 years.
Villanueva:
…one thing for sure is she is no Kenneth Hahn, because when he was serving as supervisor, that was a time of civility in a county government of balance. Today they are so far to the left of center that no one can even recognize them. They do not represent the will of anyone, much less the residents of the 4th district.
So we're going to bring this back. To the middle.
Villanueva clashed frequently with the board during his tenure as sheriff, most notably when he took it upon himself to have his department clear a notorious Venice Beach homeless encampment. The supervisors were not pleased, and then-Supervisor Sheila "Snowflake Weepie" Kuehl (since retired) called on him to resign.
The mutual enmity is already on full display; Hahn wasted no time in issuing a combative statement blasting the former sheriff:
LA County became less safe under Villanueva’s reign. He is a fraud and a failure, and LA County voters won’t be fooled again.”
— MarlaTellez (@MarlaTellez) September 13, 2023
-@SupJaniceHahn campaign responds to@AlexVilanueva33
2/2
She likely came out swinging because the Sheriff knows just how corrupt local government is in LA. Villanueva described who he thinks his likely voters will be:
I think my constituent includes everyone who actually cares about the county, cares about the fact that they live in fear, care[s] about the fact that homelessness continues to impact their daily lives. They care about corruption in county government.
It's interesting that, like Cruikshank, Villanueva is heavily focused on crime and homelessness. I'm guessing we'll see more and more candidates around the country sharing this message because citizens are getting sick and tired of watching our cities get destroyed by progressive policies.
Since he and the Board have such mutual dislike, this race is definitely going to be popcorn worthy.
See also:
L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is Kicking Butt and Taking Names
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Has Too Much Authority Over the Citizens
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