Former County Councilor David Izraelevitz Files for Los Alamos Sheriff

David Izraelevitz, a Democrat and former Los Alamos County Councilor, filed to run for Los Alamos County Sheriff, the Los Alamos Daily Post reported on March 10, 2026. The candidacy marks a return to public life for Izraelevitz, who was first appointed to the County Council in 2011 and elected to the seat in 2014.

The sheriff's race carries particular resonance for Izraelevitz given his history with the office. In March 2018, resident Greg White filed a recall petition against him containing 31 counts of alleged wrongdoing, the majority of which centered on how Izraelevitz and the Council handled the duties of the Los Alamos County Sheriff. According to reporting by the Los Alamos Daily Post, "He accuses Izraelevitz of failing to ask the Council to restore the sheriff's duties, reinstate the undersheriff and executive secretary's positions and provide funding for the sheriff's budget." Izraelevitz told the Daily Post at the time that he had no comment on the petition.

The recall never reached voters. New Mexico state law bars a recall election after May 1 for any position that will appear on the ballot later that year, and Izraelevitz was already up for re-election in 2018. A judge ruled there would not be enough time for the recall to make the ballot before that statutory deadline, ending the effort without a public vote.

The recall petition also alleged that Izraelevitz was illegally seeking re-election in 2018, citing a state law limiting county officials to two consecutive four-year elected terms. A New Mexico Secretary of State spokesperson rejected that argument, saying Izraelevitz's re-election bid was legal because he had originally been appointed to the Council in 2011 rather than elected, meaning his 2014 election represented only his first elected term, not his second.

The Los Alamos Daily Post's March 10 report included Izraelevitz's reasons for entering the sheriff's race and context about why the position is currently open, details that round out a candidacy that connects directly to the very disputes that once made him the target of a recall effort.