In poll, O.C. deputies say Hunt should be new sheriff

Based on polls of voters and their rank-and-file members, leaders of the Assn. of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs said Tuesday they would ask county supervisors to appoint former Lt. Bill Hunt to replace Michael S. Carona as the next sheriff.

In a survey of 600 likely voters conducted for the union by a consultant, most respondents said they wanted a leader with no connections to Carona, who resigned last month to fight criminal charges that he sold access to his office for tens of thousands of dollars in cash and gifts.

In that survey and a separate poll of 1,140 union members, Hunt emerged as the front-runner in a field of at least five local candidates; Carona’s hand-picked successor, interim Sheriff Jack Anderson, finished a distant third in the union’s poll and with limited support in the public poll. The union had backed Hunt in the 2006 election, which he lost to Carona.

Under state law, the Board of Supervisors can appoint a sheriff to fill the remaining three years of Carona’s third term. The board has voted to hire a recruiting firm to conduct a nationwide search. In the meantime, despite public criticism of Anderson’s connection to Carona, the supervisors have agreed to let him serve as temporary sheriff.

“The results kind of speak for themselves,” said Mark Nichols, general manager of the union. “The voters don’t want the next sheriff to be close to Carona. They want someone who is supported by the rank and file, which is important to move the department forward, especially in times of transition.

“I thought Anderson might finish a bit higher -- these are people who grew up with him,” Nichols added, referring to the survey of deputies. “But they’re obviously looking for leadership somewhere else.”

Anderson could not be reached for comment. In a letter to the union before the membership vote, Anderson sought to discourage its board from endorsing a candidate based on limited knowledge of the applicants, and before supervisors narrowed the field to the final interview stage.

Hunt has been endorsed by the deputies union before, during what turned into an ugly 2006 election against Carona. Throughout his campaign, Hunt made an issue of the series of scandals that dogged Carona throughout his administration.

After Carona narrowly won reelection, he put Hunt on administrative leave for making statements that Carona alleged violated department policy. Faced with a demotion to sergeant after an internal review, Hunt chose to resign and is now working as a private detective.

“I’m excited,” Hunt said Tuesday. “We heard the Board of Supervisors wants a sheriff who has support in the county and inside the department, which is going to be critical. I think I proved I’m the guy.”

In the public opinion poll commissioned by the union, 70% of voters interviewed over three days in late January by Global Strategy Group said they wanted a sheriff with no ties to Carona, compared with 13% who preferred one who had worked closely with him. Half the respondents preferred that the next sheriff have experience in Orange County, compared with 30% who would like to see an outside candidate.

Hunt was supported by 15% of the survey respondents, more than any other candidate. Next, with 10%, was Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters, who has also run and lost to Carona.

In the union poll, Hunt came out ahead with 42% of the votes, edging out Walters with 40%. Anderson received just 9% of the membership support.

The other local candidates for the job are Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Cmdr. Ralph Martin and Anaheim Deputy Police Chief Craig Hunter.

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christine.hanley@latimes.com

stuart.pfeifer@latimes.com