There are still more votes to be counted, but so far Janice Hahn has defended her seat serving District 4 on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.
With about 54% of votes as of Wednesday night, Hahn had a strong lead over both former L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva as well as Palos Verdes Mayor John Cruikshank.
The five-member L.A. County Board of Supervisors oversees a county of some 10 million people.
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How we got here
Hahn’s lead in at the polls follows a long-standing pattern, as it is rare for an incumbent supervisor to lose their seat in an election. The last time a sitting supervisor lost to a challenger was 1980 as sentiments leaned more conservative going into the Reagan years.
Still, Villanueva remained hopeful at his watch party at a BBQ restaurant in Whittier Tuesday night, even as early returns saw Hahn pulling ahead. As of Wednesday afternoon, Villanueva had won less than 30% of votes.
The former sheriff, who clashed regularly with supervisors during his term as sheriff, ran on promises to hold the board accountable, claiming that the five-member board was failing on homelessness and public safety. He also made claims of supervisor corruption during his campaign, calling for more transparency in county contracts.
Villanueva, who lost his re-election bid for sheriff to Robert Luna in 2022, faced wide-ranging criticism during his time heading up one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the country. Critics say he downplayed the problem of deputy gangs within his department and failed to cooperate with supervisors and the Civilian Oversight Commission.
Supporters, like retired Sheriff’s Sgt. Ralph Ruedas,…
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