Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes to Run Unchallenged for 2nd Term

Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes to Run Unchallenged for 2nd Term
Sheriff Don Barnes fires his weapon at the Orange County Sheriff's Department Law Enforcement Shooting Range in Orange, Calif., on March 30, 2021. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
Drew Van Voorhis
Updated:

Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes is set to run for a second term unopposed, as no challengers filed paperwork by the March 11 deadline with the county’s Registrar’s Office to join the June 7 election.

Barnes, who ran in 2018 while serving as the undersheriff and with close to 30 years of experience with the county’s Sheriff’s Department, widely defeated opponent Duke Nguyen, a former Santa Ana police officer. Barnes also had the endorsement of the incumbent at the time, Sandra Hutchens.

The sheriff’s department in Orange County is one of the largest in the nation, overseeing around 3,800 employees and managing an $800 million annual budget.

The department oversees the county’s jail facilities and contracts with 13 Orange County cities and unincorporated areas, where it provides police services.

Sheriff Don Barnes speaks to reporters at the Orange County Sheriff's Department Law Enforcement Shooting Range in Orange, Calif., on March 30, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)
Sheriff Don Barnes speaks to reporters at the Orange County Sheriff's Department Law Enforcement Shooting Range in Orange, Calif., on March 30, 2021. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

During his first four years as the county’s sheriff, Barnes focused on initiatives that sought to fight crime, enhance school safety, reduce jail recidivism, and stop narcotics trafficking—especially fentanyl—into the county.

Drew Van Voorhis
Drew Van Voorhis
Author
Drew Van Voorhis is a California-based daily news reporter for The Epoch Times. He has been a journalist for six years, during which time he has broken several viral national news stories and has been interviewed for his work on both radio and internet shows.
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