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Alex Villanueva | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 33rd Sheriff of Los Angeles County | |
| In office December 3, 2018 – December 5, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Jim McDonnell |
| Succeeded by | Robert Luna |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1963 (age 60–61) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic (until 2023) |
| Spouse | Vivian Villanueva |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | San Bernardino Valley College (AA) Excelsior College (BLS) California State University, Northridge (MPA) University of La Verne (DPA) |
| Signature |  |
| Police career | |
| Country | United States |
| Department | Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department |
| Service years | 1986–2022 |
| Rank | Sheriff (2018–2022) Lieutenant (2011–2018) Sergeant (2000–2011) Deputy Sheriff (1986–2000) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service | United States Air Force California Air National Guard California Army National Guard |
| Years of service | 1983–1993 |
| Rank | 1st Lieutenant |
Alejandro Villanueva[1] is an American law enforcement officer who served as the 33rd sheriff of Los Angeles County, California from 2018 until 2022. He defeated incumbent sheriff Jim McDonnell in the 2018 L.A. County Sheriff's race, making him the first to unseat an incumbent in over 100 years.[2] Before becoming Sheriff, he was a lieutenant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.[3]
The first member of the Democratic Party to be elected Sheriff in 138 years, Villanueva campaigned as a reformer and appealed to some progressive values, but has received notoriety for more conservative policies during his tenure, as well as high levels of corruption.[4] Villanueva lost his bid for reelection in 2022 by a wide margin of 61.3% to 38.7% against former Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna.[5]
- ^ "Salary information for Alejandro Villanueva". Transparent California. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- ^ "Alex Villanueva declares victory in LA County sheriff race". ABC7 Los Angeles. November 17, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
- ^ Lau, Maya (November 20, 2018). "Alex Villanueva inches closer to an upset in race for L.A. County sheriff". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
- ^ Levin, Sam (November 16, 2022). "'The sheriff who went rogue': Alex Villanueva's scandal-plagued tenure ends in LA". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
- ^ Tchekmedyian, Alene (November 15, 2022). "Robert Luna to become L.A. County sheriff as Alex Villanueva concedes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 15, 2022.