Placer County election results: Wayne Woo pulls ahead in race for sheriff

Placer County Undersheriff Wayne Woo pulled ahead in early returns on election night in his bid for sheriff, outpacing Sheriff’s Sgt. Brandon Bean.

Woo held 67% of the vote to Bean’s 33% as of midnight Wednesday. They’re competing in an open race to succeed Sheriff Devon Bell, who is retiring.

Woo, who has served in the Placer department since 1994, told The Sacramento Bee in April he was running to continue the legacy of his predecessors, Sheriffs Bell and Ed Bonner, and to ensure Placer County retains its reputation as a safe place to raise a family.

Bean campaigned on a pledge to pay attention to rank-and-file officers and raise morale in the department.

Woo began his law enforcement career at 20, serving on Placer County’s patrol unit. He has since served on its Special Investigations Unit, undercover narcotics unit, and its SWAT team.

“I’ve had the most wonderful career that anyone could ask for,” he said.

He rose through the ranks and is now responsible for the operations of the Sheriff’s Office, which oversees over 600 employees and stretches from urban Roseville to rural Lake Tahoe.

Separately, an open race for Placer County District 2 supervisor is shaping up for November’s general election. The district covers western Placer county, Lincoln and a portion of Roseville.

Candidate Shanti Landon has a lead in the election to replace outgoing Supervisor Robert Weygandt, who held the position for 27 years.

Landon, Weygandt’s former district director, has 44% of the vote in early returns while her competitor Scott Alvord was runner-up with 33%. The third candidate, Paul Joiner, 22%.

The two leading candidates, Landon and Alvord, will look to face off in November if no candidate emerges from the primary with more than 50 percent of the vote.

This story was originally published June 7, 2022 at 9:20 PM.