Alex Villanueva picked up a key endorsement in his bid for county supervisor from presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr., the former Los Angeles County sheriff announced Feb. 14.

Mr. Kennedy, a former Democrat who is running as a third-party candidate, posted a video on social media making the endorsement, which was shared by Mr. Villanueva.

“I wanted to take a minute to thank you so much for your support,” Mr. Kennedy said in the video, which was taken while he was snow skiing. “I’m looking forward to seeing you and working with you across this campaign season.”

The former sheriff, who launched his campaign in September against incumbent Supervisor Janice Hahn, said the support goes both ways.

“We’re very excited and he reached out to our campaign and offered his support,” Mr. Villanueva told The Epoch Times. “We wanted to encourage and support his endeavor, as well.”

Sheriff Alex Villanueva of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department speaks about a task force targeting wage theft outside of the Hall of Justice in Los Angeles on Feb. 9, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

Ms. Hahn has held the District 4 seat on the now all-female board since 2016, representing several cities including Commerce, Cudahy, Bell, Cerritos, Huntington Park, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Palos Verdes Estates, Paramount, and Torrance.

Mr. Villanueva joined the sheriff’s department in 1986 after serving in the United States Air Force in San Bernardino and was elected to one term as sheriff in 2018, becoming the first person in 104 years to unseat a sitting sheriff, and the first Democrat to win the seat in 138 years.

During his time leading the nation’s largest sheriff’s department, Mr. Villanueva was often at odds with the county Board of Supervisors, refusing to enforce the county’s COVID vaccine for sheriff’s deputies and fighting the board’s attempts to reduce department resources.

He was unseated by Robert Luna in 2022, who was endorsed by Ms. Hahn and the other county supervisors.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna speaks during a news conference at City Hall in Los Angeles on Aug. 17, 2023. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Enthusiasm for his campaign for supervisor is picking up, Mr. Villanueva said.

“The momentum is definitely on our side,” he said. “Everywhere we go, people are saying ‘Thank God,’ like they’re being rescued from a horrible outcome.”

The county is in a far worse place than it was eight years ago, he said. If elected, he said he plans to end the “war against law enforcement” which included the hiring freeze, funding restrictions, and calling deputies “gang members.”

“We offer change,” he said.

Most recently in Ms. Hahn’s district, four were killed in random drive-by shootings last weekend. Mr. Villanueva said he wonders whether the three-hour, gang-related shootings could have been stopped if sheriff’s department staffing wasn’t at the lowest level in 30 years.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn speaks at the Port of Long Beach, Calif., on Jan. 11, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

He said he hopes to debate the issues with Ms. Hahn before the March 5 primary, but said she has declined invitations.

Ms. Hahn’s office did not return a request for comment on deadline.

Mr. Kennedy, who lives in Malibu with his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, made headlines a day after the Super Bowl when he apologized for a commercial that aired during the game featuring his famous father Robert Kennedy, and his uncle John F. Kennedy.

The ad, aired by the American Values Super PAC, a political action committee, did not consult with his campaign, per federal election rules, he said.

The Democratic National Committee filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging that the political action committee made unlawful in-kind contributions to the candidate.

Mr. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, initially filed to run in the Democratic primary against President Joe Biden but switched to run as a third-party candidate in October, drawing attacks from both sides of the aisle.

“My campaign is a home for anyone looking to dismantle the military-industrial complex, secure the border, and restore the middle class,” Mr. Kennedy said on X Tuesday.