LOS ANGELES — After a tumultuous first term marked by his antagonism and controversies, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s bid for reelection was at risk Tuesday night as early results showed his opponent, Robert Luna, taking a sizable lead.
With 17% of the expected votes counted, Luna had won the support of 60% of voters to Villanueva’s 40%. The early returns also showed overwhelming support for Measure A, the ballot measure that would give the county’s Board of Supervisors the power to fire a sitting sheriff, with 71% voting in favor.
The close of polls on a rainy Tuesday night brought an end to a campaign widely viewed as a referendum on Villanueva, a highly controversial figure who battled endlessly with elected officials and others with the authority to oversee him and the department.
