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

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

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.