Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva on Tuesday announced plans to challenge incumbent Robert Luna and seek a return to office.

Luna defeated Villanueva, 59.8% to 40.2%, on Nov. 8, 2022.

“Over the last several years, Los Angeles County has seen the consequences of failed leadership, not just in the Sheriff’s Department, but across our local government. Promises made in 2022 have been replaced with a grim result – over a quarter of the workforce gone, an ongoing exodus of experienced personnel, and a tragedy of deputy suicides and in-custody deaths,” Villanueva said in his campaign announcement.

“On our streets, lawlessness has become the new normal, with street takeovers, looting, and organized burglary crews terrorizing our communities. Families feel unsafe.  Deputies feel unsupported. It’s time to bring steady, proven leadership back to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department,” he said, adding he wants to eliminate “paralyzing disfunction” in the department, rebuild it to full strength and boost its crime-fighting capabilities.

“That includes ensuring we can respond swiftly to disasters and emergencies and being able to evacuate vulnerable residents in harm’s way when every second counts,” Villanueva said.

In 2018, Villanueva, defeated Jim McDonnell, now chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, after one term. He went on to also become a one-term sheriff four years later after repeated clashes with the Democrat-dominated Board of Supervisors over funding and policy matters as well as the agency’s Civilian Oversight Commission.

Former supporters also criticized Villanueva of abandoning his reform platform soon after winning office and doing nothing to curtail so-called deputy gangs.

In his 2022 concession speech, Villanueva lashed out at his critics for pushing what he called “false narratives” about his leadership.

“One thing I’ve learned … is that speaking truth to power is not without risks,” he told supporters. “I’ve faced adversity throughout my career in law enforcement because I’ve always spoke truth to power, never batted an eye.

“If there are people who think somehow we’re defeated, quite the opposite. We’re walking out of here with our heads high. We accomplished the mission we set out to be, we could have used probably four more years to solidify it, but we set a very high standard.”

Last year, Villanueva lost in the primary election in a bid against Supervisor Janice Hahn for the LA County Board of Supervisors.

In April, Lt. Oscar Martinez of the sheriff’s Palmdale Station announced plans to challenge Luna in 2026, saying he was running because the department needs a leader who will empower deputies to do their jobs.

“I’m 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 the future of public safety in our communities,” said Martinez, who has been with the department for more than 16 years.

Martinez was especially critical of Luna for not doing enough to defend deputy Trevor James Kirk, who was found guilty in February of excessive force for assaulting and pepper-spraying a woman during a 2023 confrontation outside a Lancaster supermarket.

Earlier this year Luna announced he would seek reelection, citing reduced crime and increased transparency as key accomplishments.

“Under my leadership, LASD has also improved compliance related to the jails and Antelope Valley settlements and increased community engagement and outreach,” he said in a statement on his website. “My bottom line: as Sheriff, our service must always be effective, respectful, empathetic, and constitutional.”

City News Service contributed to this story.