After winning his first term as Orange County sheriff-coroner in 2018, Don Barnes faces no opponents in his bid to serve another four years.

Barnes – who now has more than three decades’ experience at the OC Sheriff’s Department – was picked by retiring Sheriff Sandra Hutchens to succeed her. After a three-way fight in the primary that forced a runoff, he easily beat his final opponent four years ago.

The window to get on the June 7 ballot closed Friday with only Barnes filing papers for the sheriff’s seat.

OC’s sheriff oversees a department with a budget of more than $800 million and about 3,500 employees. It runs several jail facilities and provides security at the county’s state and federal courthouses, it also serves as the law enforcement agency for all unincorporated areas and 13 cities that have contracts for service.

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