LOS ANGELES — As Los Angeles County sheriff, Alex Villanueva has tacked to the right, becoming a regular guest on Fox News and decrying “wokeism.”
He has flouted conventional rules, thumbing his nose at a civilian oversight commission and donning a cowboy hat to confront homelessness on another police agency’s turf.
But even in a moment when fear of crime and disorder is high, Villanueva’s brashness has not translated into overwhelming support, leaving him vulnerable to defeat in a November runoff election.
