There’s a new sheriff in town. On Tuesday afternoon, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva conceded he lost his bid for another term to Robert Luna. Luna, the former Long Beach police chief, has kept a strong lead over Villanueva with each new vote tally released.
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We’ve already learned a few things about Luna from my colleague Emily Elena Dugdale. I’ve also written about him in past newsletters. But If you’re anything like me, you’re thinking…okay now what?
What kind of leadership will Luna have now that he’ll head up the largest sheriff’s department in the world, one that is knee deep in controversies and the subject of a state investigation.
Luna has promised to work hand-in-hand with county officials that Villauneva has battled with during his term. The incoming sheriff has committed to a “180-degree difference” from past leadership. Luna also said he wants a review of department operations and to find the right people to run the county jails.
My colleagues Frank Stoltze and Emily Elena Dugdale have more details about Luna’s plans when he takes over as sheriff and more on his background — the early experiences with police that shaped him and his controversies with Black Long Beach residents.
As of right now, there are races still too close to call. We do know that the AP called the race for Orange County GOP Rep. Michelle Steel who beat out Jay Chen to hold on to her seat in Congressional District 45. Longtime GOP Riverside Rep. Ken Calvert also kept his seat in a very contentious race. As of Tuesday night, here’s where things stand in the House.
More locally, we know that Katy Yaroslavsky won the L.A. City Council Seat in District 5 and in the 13th District Councilman Mitch O'Farrell conceded to challenger Hugo Soto-Martinez. But we are still waiting on L.A. Mayor. Congresswoman Karen Bass has continued to extend her lead on real estate billionaire Rick Caruso. Hopefully, by the time we’re sitting at the table stuffing our mouths with turkey and yams, we’ll know who the next L.A. mayor will be.
As we wait, one thing to keep in mind is something the L.A. County Registrar Dean Logan told my colleague Larry Mantle on our newsroom's public affairs show AirTalk on Monday when it comes to the results:
"...It's hard to tell [what’s going to happen] because some of these contests are very close, but if you see a consistent trend over 3 or 4 updates, then that's usually an indication of....how the remaining ballots are going to fall as well."
As always, stay happy and healthy, folks. There’s more news below — just keep reading.
(after you stop hitting snooze)
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By now, I’m sure you are exhausted by all of this election talk. Well, looks like you’re in luck because today is L.A. history day! I have a few special passengers on this time travel trip: How To LA podcast host Brian De Los Santos and HTLA listener and reader Andrea Martinez Gonzalez. For the latest episode of the podcast, Gonzalez takes Brian on a tour of one of L.A.’s oldest neighborhoods: Angelino Heights.
Her family on her mom’s side came to L.A. from Mexico in 1904. In 1960 her grandmother bought the family’s home on Carroll Avenue in Angelino Heights, a street with more Victorian houses than any place in the city. It was the city’s first historical preservation zone and is recognized as the second “suburb” in the city (listen to the podcast to find out what neighborhood was the first!).
Like so many places in L.A., this area has gone through a series of phases. It used to be a wealthy, white area…and then when the white flight happened, immigrants moved in, adding to the racial/ethnic diversity of the city. Some of the grand homes have been converted over the years to boarding houses and then apartments, but much of the exterior architecture has remained.
So… what do bungalows, Queen Anne and the 90s witch drama Charmed have to do with Angelino Heights? What does gentrification look like from the perspective of a longtime homeowner in this historical neighborhood? And What restaurants should you check out when you visit? You have to listen to this podcast episode to learn more:
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