Robert Luna projected to win re-election in LA Sheriff's race

Welcome back, everyone. 950. We have another race that has been called. This is the race for L.A. County Sheriff, the incumbent Robert Luna, winning handily, defeating the former sheriff. His former challenger, in fact, Alex Villanueva, 30% to 30%, so 70% to 30%. This is with 55% of the precincts reporting, but this race has been called. Let's get you out to the Luna Camp now. Susan Hirasuna, she picks up our coverage now. She's live for us there at the restaurant in Carson, and I'm sure it's celebratory there tonight, Susan. Well, thanks to the fact that you put up those numbers, Marla, because everybody here, they've been watching the returns come in. That 70-30 split has been there for a while, but nobody wanted to think that the race was called or the race was over until it became more official. And that is the case with the incumbent Sheriff Robert Luna. Sheriff, you were just up there on that stage talking to your supporters, and you were saying, yeah, I see those numbers, But I'm not willing to say, yes, I'm going. to be sheriff for another term. How do you feel now? I'm still holding off and I appreciate I saw the check mark that the numbers look great as they're rolling in that separation. I feel so good that the voters of LA County really looked at the facts here. Two very different people running for this office. He's got his style, I've got mine and I think people are... I'm very happy with the way we're progressing forward instead of going backwards. But I'm going to wait and celebrate when I finally hear I got this. Mrs. Luna is here, and you're not waiting. You're celebrating. I'm celebrating. We just heard the AP called it, so we got it. It looked really, really good when you see that 70-30 split. In addition to a lot of the people that you have that you work with and support you within the department, we also have LAPD Police Chief Jim McDonald here. What does that mean to you that he's here? He's been a mentor of mine for years. We work together, I think most people know, in Long Beach. For the World Cup, we were working very close together. I'm hoping that he stays in his job as I stay in mine. And that's the formula we need to build a foundation for public safety for the Super Bowl and the Olympics, Paralympics that are coming up. So I'm hoping we still work as a team with all of our other partners throughout the region, the state. Uh, and some, uh, secret service and FBI. The thing that I learned from you when you spoke to your supporters is you made it a point to point out that you would never ask any of your rank and file, any of the people of the department for funding for your campaign. So can you explain more why you decided to go that route? Yeah. During my first campaign, as well as this one, uh, I, I think it's corrupt to ask employees for money because then eventually They, is it a promotion or a transfer, a preferential treatment? And to me, I want everyone to get a fair shake. So my policy's always been not one dollar from a current active LASD employee. I don't think my opponent can say that. One thing about having LAPD Chief McDonald here is you also got the mayoral race where in this case, and he sort of suggested to me that he really didn't want to talk about the fact that, you know, if Karen Bass's opponent wins, if Nithya Raman wins, she might go after him. So, you know, you sort of hinted at it. Is that a concern of yours when you look at the mayoral race numbers? Yeah, it's a big concern. I hope it's political rhetoric. Jim McDonald is one of the best law enforcement executives in the United States. Very well respected. He is a go-to guy. I'm telling you, him being at LAPD, me being at the Sheriff's Department, I don't think we've ever had as good of a relationship between our two agencies. Who benefits from that? Every community member in Los Angeles County, which includes the city of Los Angeles. Sheriff Luna, thank you very much. Congratulations to you both. Enjoy the evening. All right. So I will send it back to you on this, what they call a very festive evening. He, you know, typically Marla, I got to point something out is that a lot of times once the candidate speaks that usually people leave and they go, okay, end of my day. But instead he said, please stay, please eat, please enjoy the evening. Please enjoy having time with Your colleagues and, yeah, the room has actually only been diminished by, I don't know, maybe a third. So I'll send it back to you.