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GET TO KNOW THE CANDIDATES
- What’s at stake in this race
- What does the Orange County auditor-controller do?
- You might know the Orange County auditor-controller from
- Here are some things the auditor-controller doesn’t do
- Fast facts about the Auditor-Controller Office
- What’s on the agenda for next term
- What it takes to win
- The candidate
- Campaign finance
- How to get involved
What’s at stake in this race
This is one of the few races on the ballot that is all but officially decided. The incumbent is running unopposed.
What does the Orange County auditor-controller do?
- Keeps track of the county’s financial records.
- Makes sure departments are using funds correctly and following laws, policies and contract requirements.
- Performs internal audits.
- Keeps an eye on the county’s books for any fraud, waste or mismanagement of funds.
You might know the Orange County auditor-controller from
Orange County’s auditor-controller teamed up with state Controller Malia Cohen earlier this year to create a new kind of refund program. The Unclaimed Property Program allows county residents to tap into millions of dollars in “unclaimed money” that rightful owners have forgotten about or left behind.
Here are some things the auditor-controller doesn’t do
- Prosecute — the auditor-controller can only detect and identify fraud.
- Handle tax revenue.
- Create the county’s budget.
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Stefan Bean is running unopposed to oversee an education system that serves nearly a half-million students. -
Trustee Area 5 is the lone seat up for election this year on the O.C. Board of Education, which has a major say in the county education budget and charter school issues.
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The office is responsible for collecting property taxes and acts as the county’s banker, managing and investing funds that return yields used to pay for county services.
Fast facts about the Auditor-Controller Office
- An elected auditor-controller serves a four-year term.
- The auditor-controller's salary is more than $225,000 a year, not including benefits.
- The elected position came to be in 1982, when the Board of Supervisors consolidated the auditor’s and controller’s duties.
What’s on the agenda for next term
The budget: The auditor-controller will have to make sure that no dollar goes to waste as the county deals with shrinking support from the federal government and its obligations to fund payouts from the 2024 Airport Fire.
Updating tech systems: The Auditor-Controller’s Office is unifying finance and human resource operations from more than 20 county departments under one system. This move is expected to save the county millions of dollars and should be completed in 2027.
What it takes to win
The winning candidate needs more than 50% of the votes to secure victory in the primary and avoid a runoff in the November general election. In this race, Andrew N. Hamilton is running unopposed and has a clear path to victory.
The candidate
Andrew N. Hamilton, incumbent
Hamilton was first elected as Orange County’s auditor-controller in 2022. He has about 35 years of experience as a certified public accountant in the public and private sectors. He also has served on the Lake Forest City Council.
Andrew N. Hamilton
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Courtesy Andrew N. Hamilton
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More voter resources:
- Candidate website
- Endorsements include Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes, O.C. Supervisor Janet Nguyen and state Sen. Tony Strickland.
- Full endorsements list here.
Go deeper:
- Unclaimed money? Orange County launches site to help residents find it (NBC Los Angeles)
- Orange County approves $10.8B budget — but there's one giant question mark (LAist)
- Orange County Taps Oracle Cloud Suite for Financial, HR Systems (Industry Insider)
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Bass, who currently serves as the mayor of L.A., covered topics ranging from her homelessness approach to city infrastructure. -
Huang, a Presbyterian minister and community organizer, covered topics ranging from labor management to the size of the LAPD and the homelessness crisis. -
Raman, who currently sits on the L.A. City Council, covered topics ranging from homelessness to labor management.
Campaign finance
No outside spending as of last reporting date
Independent or outside committees can raise and spend without limits — but they're barred from coordinating with a candidate. A chart will appear above when any outside committees have spent money to support or oppose a candidate in this race. Updated every Tuesday and Thursday.
How to get involved
One of the best things you can do to hold officials accountable is pay attention. Your city council, board of supervisors, school board and more all hold public meetings that anybody can attend. These are times you can talk to your elected officials directly and hear about the policies they’re voting on that affect your community.
- Read tips on how to get involved.
- The Orange County Board of Supervisors meets on alternating Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. at 400 W. Civic Center Drive, Santa Ana. You can check out the O.C. Board of Supervisors full calendar here.
- Learn how to submit a public comment to the O.C. Board of Supervisors.
What questions do you have about this election?
You ask, and we'll answer: Whether it's about who's funding the campaigns or how to track your ballot, we're here to help you understand the 2026 election
