Here are highlights from Orange County's top races in the March 5 primary:
- Voters in Huntington Beach split on a slate of ballot measures that were seen a referendum on the new ultra-conservative city council majority: Residents approved a measure that requires voter ID and limits what flags can be raised on city property, while a third administrative measure was rejected.
- Two key congressional seats — Districts 45 and 47 — are shaping up to be brutal November showdowns considered "must wins" for both Republicans and Democrats.
- Orange County voters recalled two conservative members of the Orange Unified School District Board of Education after a campaign that focused in part on gender, sexuality and LGBTQ+ students' rights.
- In Westminister, a sales take hike sailed to victory with a surprisingly strong lead.
- Incumbent Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner also enjoyed an easy reelection win.
- Irvine voters approved a plan to dramatically transform the way city council members are elected
- And three judge's seats were up for grab, and were won by the prosecutors running in those respective races.
Why now?
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The California Secretary of State's Office certified the final vote tallies on April 12, marking an official end to the March 5, 2024 Primary Election.
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Voter Game Plan will be back in the fall to help you prepare for the Nov. 5 General Election.
Here's a closer look at the results:
Orange County Board of Supervisors
The five county supervisors are some of the most powerful people in Orange County, deciding about $9 billion in spending each year on key government services like public health, mental health, law enforcement and child protective services. There were two seats up for grabs in the March 5 primary, Districts 1 and 3.
District 1
The candidates in this race were running to replace current Supervisor Andrew Do, who cannot run again because he’s termed out. This fall race will now see Janet Nguyen, the state Senator for the 36th District, seeking a return to the board she served on from 2007 to 2014. Among her campaign platforms: She’s calling for an overhaul of the county’s animal care agency and more audits of county spending. Her opponent is Frances Marquez, the Cypress City Councilmember and former legislative director for U.S. Rep. Alan Lowenthal. A majority of the voters in this district are registered Republicans. Marquez, the only Democrat to run in the race in March, touts her experience at the House of Representatives, where she says she helped secure funding for a local science and math program.
District 3
Don Wagner, the district's incumbent supervisor, was seeking a second full term in office and had an enviable lead on his opponent from the start. By winning more than 50% of the vote, he avoided a runoff in the Fall. The Republican has served as supervisor since 2019, and pointed to his support of law enforcement and a state veterans cemetery near Anaheim Hills as he campaigned. He released a statement saying: "In my next term in office, I will continue to prioritize protecting public safety and standing with law enforcement, maintain fiscal discipline and integrity with balanced budgets and no new taxes, fight for local control of our neighborhoods, schools, and economy, and tackle the mental health and homeless crises." He ran against Irvine Mayor Farrah N. Kahn, a Democrat, who campaigned in part on her creation of the Irvine City Council’s diversity, equity and inclusion committee and her work to distribute money to small businesses during the pandemic.
Orange Unified School District recall elections
Voters ousted two Orange Unified School District board members: Trustees Rick Ledesma and Madison Miner, representing district areas 4 and 7, considered themselves part of the self-named "parental rights movement." The pair had touted their help in passing a "parents bill of rights" that reiterated parents' rights to review curriculum and have their opinions taken into consideration by district leaders. But recall backers saw their agenda as something darker, accusing the pair of, among other things, targeting LGBTQ+ students: Critics also pointed to their role in passing policies that ban flying the Pride flag at schools and require schools to notify parents if their child asks to use a different name or gender than the one assigned to them at birth.
Orange County key U.S. House races
Of the many U.S. House races held in California this year, there are two critical standouts in Orange County:
District 45
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel easily advanced to the general election in the fall with a commanding lead. The Republican will face off against Derek Tran, a Democrat and workers’ rights advocate. The district straddles Orange and Los Angeles counties and registered Democrats edge out Republicans, with a sizeable number of "no party preference" voters.
This politically diverse district is among the key ones in California that have helped determine control of Congress in past elections and is one of eight districts in California targeted by national Democrats in 2024. Republicans are equally determined to fend them off.
District 47
Why this will be a key race in the fall: The district is represented by Rep. Katie Porter, who vacated the seat to run for U.S. Senate. She lost, which means this seat is up for grabs. Democrats, of course, are hoping to hold onto the seat, while Republicans are hoping to make inroads. The fall showdown will see Republican Scott Baugh pitted against State Sen. Dave Min, a Democrat. Registered Democrats slightly outnumber Republicans in this district as well, with a sizeable number of "no party preference" voters also likely to play a key role in the outcome.
Judicial races
There’s a growing push toward getting more people with defense backgrounds — public defenders, and defense attorneys — on the bench. Historically, though, voters choose judges who have prosecutorial experience. That was the case with the three judicial seats up for grab. In all three elections, prosecutors won their elections outright.
Office No. 3
Jason Baez
Orange County Deputy District Attorney
Dan Jacobson
Attorney
Office No. 16
Richard Zimmer
Orange County Deputy District Attorney
Binh Dang
Los Angeles County Deputy Public Defender
Office No. 35
Whitney Bokosky
Orange County Deputy District Attorney
Daniel J. Kern
Attorney At Law
Huntington Beach ballot measures
Voters in "Surf City" were asked to approve a slate of measure that critics said were sending the community off in the wrong direction. The measures were seen as a test of residents' feelings about the city's sharp turn to the right under the leadership of an ultra-conservative city council majority, elected in 2022.
Measure A passed
Measure A aims to change Huntington Beach's charter (like a constitution for cities) to allow the city to require voters to show identification in municipal elections starting in 2026. It would also allow the city to monitor ballot drop boxes and add 20 new voting locations dispersed throughout the city. The proposal set off alarm bells among voting rights advocates and state leaders, who point to evidence that voter ID requirements disproportionately impact low-income people and non-white voters. And, as expected, the state has already filed legal action to stop it, with California Attorney General Rob Bonta saying the measure “threatens the constitutionally protected right to vote.”
Measure B passed
The passage of Measure B adds a section to Huntington Beach's charter to limit the city's display of flags on city property to government and military flags, along with the POW/MIA flag, and, around the Summer Olympic Games, the Olympic flag. Opponents said the real purpose of the measure is to make it nearly impossible to fly the Pride flag on city property.
Measure C failed
Measure C was an in-the-weeds initiative that would have addressed the inner workings of city government. For example, it would have changed the rules for filling city council vacancies, required the city to adopt a two-year, or biennial, budget, and changed the rules for canceling city council meetings. Voters rejected it.
Irvine's Measure D passed
Measure D will transform the way Irvine elects its representatives.
Measure D asked Irvine voters to add two more members to the four-member city council (for a total of six members) and adopt a map that would divide the city into six corresponding city council districts. The new council will include the mayor and the six councilmembers: The mayor will remain an at-large position chosen by all voters in Irvine and would still vote on issues that come before the city council.
The passage of Measure D continues a trend underway in California for years. Voting rights groups have long been pressing cities to adopt district elections as a way to ensure more diversity on their city councils. The measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the Irvine city council.
Westminister's Measure E passed
Measure E asked Westminster voters to add an additional half percent sales tax to secure the city’s financial stability.
The passage of Measure E will provide an estimated $8 million dollars annually, the authors of the measure predicted. Those funds will be used to help close a nearly $9 million budget gap and go to just about every service the city offers, including the upkeep and safety of public parks, protecting local drinking water supplies and supporting local businesses. The authors say the money will also be used to address homelessness by maintaining a new shelter and providing job training as well as mental health and substance abuse services.
Critics, however, predict a higher sales tax will send shoppers to nearby cities with lower sales taxes, thereby defeating the purpose of the tax. The sales tax in Westminster, currently 8.75%, is already on the higher end of city tax rates in Orange County; the new ballot measure raises the sales tax to 9.25%.
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