Retired LASD captain Mike Bornman enters race for sheriff

Mike Bornman running for LA County sheriff

Retired Capt. Mike Bornman is looking to reenter the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. He spoke to FOX 11 about his plans for the 2026 sheriff's race and why he wants to unseat Sheriff Robert Luna.

LOS ANGELES - Retired Capt. Mike Bornman is looking to reenter the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Bornman has launched a campaign hoping to unseat Sheriff Robert Luna during the 2026 election. 

Bornman has been with the department for over 36 years and worked on a wide range of assignments including custody, patrol, operations, criminal and administrative investigations, federal task forces, and created bureaus in the department. 

"Just because I retired doesn't mean that I've taken my eye off the ball or that I turned my back on my brothers and sisters in law enforcement. I have been watching with horror over the last couple of years as I've seen the department that I gave my life to apparently on a race to the bottom," Bornman said on FOX 11. 

He said the sheriff’s department is facing significant challenges, including deteriorating infrastructure, declining morale, and decreasing public support.

If elected sheriff, one of his first tasks would be to initiate a complete forensic audit of every dollar spent by the department and determine not only how much is being spent, but where money is going and why. 

"I guarantee you that there are things in that budget that made sense two, three, five years ago that make no sense today. I also guarantee that there are things that do make sense that aren't funded or are underfunded."

His second priority focuses on deputy morale, recruitment and retention. He said many deputies are overworked, with some working triple double shifts. 

On Bornman's website, it said under the current administration, 12 department-related deputy suicides have occurred. In May of this year, FOX 11 reported that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was experiencing a mental health crisis, evidenced by at least 13 suicides among current and recently retired employees since 2023. Bornman called it an epidemic, blaming a toxic combination of poor leadership, a lack of support, and severe understaffing. He says deputies are being pushed to the brink. Members of the department also echoed this concern, saying the number of lives lost in their own department is unacceptable.  

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• LA Co. deputies pushed to brink amid mandatory double, triple shifts; 13 suicides reported since 2023
• Retired LASD Chief, wife speak out after losing daughter to suicide: 'When is enough, enough?'

Family calls on LASD to address deputy suicides

Retired LASD chief Eli Vera is calling on the department to address the recent cases of Los Angeles County deputy suicides.

In addition to addressing this major issue, Bornman said he is also focused on recruiting more members. 

"We can't recruit, hire, train and retain people fast enough to even keep up with attrition rates. I think because a lot of people are retiring early because they're disgusted. People are lateraling out because they're disgusted. You know, they're quitting early just saying, 'Hey, forget it. I don't want to work here anymore'. Once they see that there's leadership in place that actually cares about them, I think we can slow that decline out, but we do need to hire more deputies," Bornman explained. 

Candidates for LA County Sheriff 

Others in the race for LA County Sheriff include former Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Lt. Oscar Martinez of the Palmdale Sheriff's Station. 

Former LA sheriff, Alex Villanueva, announces campaign bid

Former LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is looking to get his old job back as he announced his campaign for 2026. He spoke to FOX 11 about his goals and why he wants to return to the department.

Robert Luna defeated Villanueva in the 2022 election. Villanueva served only one term, having been elected in 2018 after defeating now LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell. Villanueva's victory marked the first time in roughly a century that an incumbent sheriff had lost a reelection bid in the county.

What's next:

California's Primary Election will be held June 2, 2026. The top two candidates will then move on to the November election. The race is nonpartisan, meaning party affiliation will not be listed on the ballot.