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Who are the big spenders in the OC Board of Supes races? A look at the campaign finances
The Board of Supervisors is O.C.’s powerful governing body that controls a $10 billion budget.
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Samanta Helou Hernandez
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LAist
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Millions of dollars from workers’ unions and special interest groups are flowing to the Orange County Board of Supervisors races this year.
The Board of Supervisors is O.C.’s powerful governing body, controlling a $10 billion budget for critical departments such as social services, public health and public works. The board also sets laws and oversees more than 16,000 county employees.
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Superior Court judges oversee courtroom proceedings and trials across all of Los Angeles County. -
On the ballot June 2, Measure ER asks voters to raise L.A. County's general sales tax by a half-percent to backfill hospital and clinic budgets amid federal cuts to Medi-Cal. -
The certification ends the vote count in the June 2 primary and ushers in the general election season.
The five-member board is nonpartisan, but its members have drawn criticism and praise for their political party affiliations, especially during election season. This November, two seats are up for grabs, and county Republicans see the potential for seizing control of the board from its current three-member Democratic majority.
LAist looked at who is financing their campaigns and how much they're putting down. The latest deadline to submit campaign finance records was Thursday. Here’s what we know.
How much did each candidate raise?
In District 4, which represents Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia and others, Connor Traut is running against Tim Shaw.
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Shaw raised nearly $58,000 in the last year, according to recent filings. Traut raised over $200,000 — three times as much as his opponent.
For District 5, which represents Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, San Clemente and others, incumbent Supervisor Katrina Foley is facing Republican Assemblywoman Diane Dixon.
In the last year, Foley raised nearly $480,000, just short of Dixon’s $514,000 in contributions.
Who are the big spenders?
Outside groups have spent more than $2 million on Board of Supervisors races. Some of the highest amounts came from workers’ unions and political donor groups during this campaign cycle.
The firefighters' union spent more than $575,000 on the board elections — about $380,000 in support of Traut and $195,000 in support of Foley. The union has endorsed both candidates, according to Traut and Foley’s websites.
The Orange County Employees Association, which represents more than 11,000 of the county’s rank-and-file employees, spent more than $330,000 in support of Foley and over $30,000 in opposition to Dixon. The union also spent nearly $76,000 in support of Traut.
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The Lincoln Club of Orange County spent over $448,000 — about $333,000 in opposition of Foley and about $115,000 in support of her opponent, Dixon. The Lincoln Club is a major conservative donor group that has had deep influence in California politics for more than 60 years.
The Democratic Party of Orange County has spent about $135,000 in support of Traut and about $77,000 in support of Foley. Among the biggest donors to the local party are the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association at $160,000 and the Orange County Employees Association at $65,000.
What’s next?
Ballots for the Nov. 3 General Election go out early next month. LAist has a full voter guide here.
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.
