12 years ago, incumbent Sherman Block was in a runoff for Los Angeles County sheriff. November 2002. Block dies of a heart attack the Sunday before the election. The next day, the county board wanted everyone to vote for the dead because they did not like the live Lee Baca. They wanted us to ‘trust them’ to pick the right live Sheriff. Baca won, and won twice more, and retired this year, interestingly under a cloud of scandal himself.
Ruben Stoddard considers himself lucky, at this point....