Villanueva, who had a reputation for defying police defunders and vaccine mandates, admitted as much to his opponent during a news conference where he faulted the county for its negotiating methodology before thanking his staff. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva says deputies are making arrests, but cases “fall apart” when they get to DA Gascon. On Tuesday, Los Angeles Couynty is supervising voters to draft a proposal that would give them the power to remove him from office. (Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews) Whenever there was an executive meeting where decisions were made, he said, they would decide what was right and then figure out how to make it happen. CALIFORNIA ELECTION RESULTS: LA SERIFOS VILLANUEVA, WHO VOTED DEMODATORY, WARES ON NOVEMBER ELECTIONS “You can negotiate on practices, but you can’t negotiate on principles,” Villanueva said. “I realize the political environment here in LA is just the opposite, but that’s the way it should be.” The now-former sheriff also had a message for the media, thanking them for their patience and encouraging them to continue to tell the truth and be the voice of democracy. LOS ANGELES-CA-MAY 31, 2022: Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva speaks during a press conference at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles to announce the results of a recent marijuana bust in the Antelope Valley. ((Christina House/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)) “You can’t survive if all you can do is combine it with the political narrative of the establishment,” he said. “This is democracy in decline. So go back to reporting everything, on both sides, with passion, and then we’ll be better off because of it.” LA COUNTY SHERIFF VILLANUEVA REFUSES TO ENFORCE VACCINATION ORDER IN HIS ORGANIZATION: ‘IT IS SERIOUSLY IRREVERSIBLE’ The LA County Registrar-Recorder website posted live results from the election, and as of Tuesday, Luna had received 60 percent of the vote and Villanueva had 40 percent. There was also an amendment to the county map that voters approved with 70.6 percent of the vote. The amendment gives the county board of supervisors the power to remove an elected sheriff from office for reasons including violation of law, neglect of duty, misappropriation of funds, willful falsification of documents or obstruction of an investigation, by a four-fifths vote of the board of supervisors. LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 15: Sheriff Alex Villanueva details a week-long, nationwide operation to combat human trafficking at a news conference held at the Hall of Justice on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Shortly after Villanueva’s concession, Luna took to Twitter to make a statement. LA COUNTY SHERIFF VILLANUEVA SUCCEEDS ‘WOKEISM’, SAYS HE HAS TO GO TO MAKE CITY ‘LIVING AGAIN’ “Thank you, LA County,” he said. “I am deeply honored and humbled that you have chosen me as your next sheriff. With your vote, you have entrusted me with a clear mandate to bring new leadership and accountability to the Sheriff’s Department. And that is exactly what I will do.” Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn congratulated Luna on Twitter, saying, “I’m ready to work with you.” Over the next two weeks, Villanueva said, he plans to visit each department to thank them. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Every adversity he faced during his career, Villanueva said, propelled him to a bigger stage, audience and voice. With this voice he wanted to send a message to those who thought he was defeated. “Quite the opposite,” he said. “We’re leaving here with our heads held high. We accomplished the mission…we probably could have used another four years to solidify it, but we set a standard, a very high standard.” Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.