Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP / Getty Images
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn again increased her lead over former Sheriff Alex Villanueva Friday as new vote tallies were released from Tuesday's election, prompting her to declare victory in the race.
According to updated results released Friday, Hahn had 56.9% of the vote, compared to 28.9% for Villanueva. Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor John Cruikshank was third with 14.2%.
Claiming more than 50% of the vote allows Hahn to win re-election outright without the need for a November runoff against the second-place finisher. Hahn's new term will be her third and final term on the board representing District 4, which represents more than 50 communities, including Artesia, Long Beach, Pico Rivera, Torrance, Whittier, along with the unincorporated areas of East La Mirada, Santa Catalina Island, Westfield, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Harbor City, San Pedro and Wilmington.
Hahn was elected in 2016 and re-elected to another term in 2020. Previously, she served three terms on the Los Angeles City Council representing the 15th District before being elected to Congress in California's 36th and, later, 44th districts.
"I'm forever grateful to our supporters -- working people, small businesses, law enforcement, grassroots activists and communities throughout the 4th District for re-electing me," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "This win is for you. Thank you, and onward to four more years of fighting for positive change in L.A. County."
Villanueva remained defiant, telling the Daily News he was not conceding the race. On social media, he wrote, "Losers use taxpayer dollars to bribe voters, conceal their crass nepotism and then refuse to defend their failing record in a public debate. That's you @SupJaniceHahn."
According to the county Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's Office, there are still 408,500 ballots to count from Tuesday's election. It's unclear how many of them are from the Fourth District.
All three Board of Supervisors members who were up for re-election Tuesday have claimed victory without need for a runoff.
On Thursday, Kathryn Barger officially claimed victory in her bid for a third and final term representing District 5, which covers more than 90 communities, including the cities of Arcadia, Burbank, La Cañada, Palmdale, Santa Clarita, Temple City, along with the unincorporated areas of Agua Dulce, Claremont, Palmdale, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Lakeview Terrace, Sunland, Toluca Lake and Valley Village.
Updated results Friday showed Barger with 58.7% of the vote, ahead of Assemblyman Chris Holden's 21.4%.
"I want to thank every voter who supported our campaign. It is because of your support that I am positioned to continue representing our county's large and diverse Fifth District," Barger said in a statement. "County service has been my focus for over 35 years and the results so far serve as a validation that experience and hard work does not go unnoticed. I am proud of our campaign, which focused on putting people over politics. Our communities deserve leadership that represents their priorities and voice."
She added: "Our county is at a critical juncture and there is much to do. We have to keep working to raise the quality of life of all residents. We have to keep working to address our most pressing local issues such as homelessness and keeping communities safe. I am optimistic we have momentum to deliver meaningful change. I look forward to the work that lies ahead."
Supervisor Holly Mitchell easily won her re-election for a second term representing District 2, which includes more than 40 communities, including Culver City, Marina del Rey and South Bay cities, as well Inglewood, Compton, Carson and much of South Los Angeles. Mitchell previously served in the state Legislature as a representative for the 54th Assembly District and the 30th Senate District.
As of Friday's vote-counting update, Mitchell had 67.4% of the vote, with education consultant Daphne Bradford a distant second at 13.3%.
The supervisorial seats are nonpartisan. It's been 44 years since an incumbent county supervisor has lost a reelection bid.
The L.A. County supervisors rank among the most influential local government officials nationwide. The five board members govern a county with approximately 10 million residents. Supervisors are elected to serve four-year terms and can remain in office for up to 12 consecutive years.