From [HERE] Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva rode a wave of progressive energy to become the first Democrat and Spanish speaker to win the seat in more than a century. Now his party is having buyer’s remorse.

A campaign promise to reform a troubled department has given way to four years of scandals, attacks on journalists and conservative rhetoric around crime that has shocked Democrats and endeared him to far-right media figures like Tucker Carlson.

It may just propel him to reelection.

Villanueva could cruise to an easy victory next month in the nation’s most populous county. He is banking on the Latino vote and angst about public safety to carry him to reelection on June 7 in the reliably left-leaning area — and he could avoid a general election if he wins more than 50 percent of the primary votes.

The race will be a test of how far Democratic voters are willing to go to support a candidate who promises to clean up the streets as the party nationwide battles to hold seats in competitive districts where crime is among residents’ top concerns.

There’s a feeling of deep regret among some Democrats who propelled Villanueva, a former department watch commander who ran for sheriff in 2018, to power and celebrated his victory as a win for criminal justice reform, said Mark Gonzalez, chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party.

Those who backed Villanueva based on promises that he would cut ties with federal immigration enforcement, crack down on department corruption and reduce the prison population are now flabbergasted at his pivot toward Republican talking points — like blaming “wokeism” for declining living standards in the county — and his vitriolic reactions to those who question his policies.

“The same people that helped fund and put you forward in 2018 are the same people that you’re criticizing,” Gonzalez said of Villanueva. “My mama taught me ‘don’t bite the hand that feeds you,’ and that’s the first thing you’re doing.”

Villanueva’s campaign did not respond to multiple emails and calls requesting comment on this story. The sheriff has at many points defended his record as a reformer, pointing out that he banned the transfer of county inmates to federal immigration custody without a criminal warrant. He also touts his ban of deputy gangs in the department, though a civilian oversight commission says it’s still a problem.

But Villanueva may not need the support of his party to win reelection, especially in a year where Californians are on high alert about crime, public safety and homelessness. As a well-funded, Spanish-speaking incumbent who enjoys broad support from law enforcement, Villanueva may be able to rise above the cacophony of controversy that has surrounded his tenure.

A survey of registered voters in the city of Los Angeles conducted this week by BSP Research, a Los Angeles-based polling firm, found that 55 percent of Latino voters had a favorable perception of Villanueva, compared to 24 percent who viewed him unfavorably. BSP Research estimates 1.2 million Latinos will cast votes in Los Angeles County during the general election, equal to a record turnout for the 2018 presidential election.

Roughly 40 percent of Los Angeles County residents of voting age are Latino, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Like other groups, Latino voters have consistently ranked public safety as a major concern in local polling.

Andrew Acosta, a Democratic political consultant who has worked on law enforcement campaigns in California, said Villanueva’s tough-on-crime platform and calls to remove homeless encampments could be attractive to voters. He also questioned how closely residents are following media coverage of the department’s scandals — most recently, an attempt to investigate a local journalist for reporting on a coverup in the department.

“Just because he says outlandish things and columnists in the LA Times write about him, I don’t know if that makes him a dead man walking,” he said.