Orange County News

An Asian man with salt-pepper hair wearing a blue suit holds the phone to his ear while smiling.

Civics & Democracy

Democrat Derek Tran's lead over GOP Rep. Michelle Steel climbs to 480 votes

The contest in California's 45th district is one of three undecided House races.

A close-up of an official ballot envelope. On the left side is a small hole.

Civics & Democracy

How ballot curing could decide those super tight races

Voters have until Dec. 1 to fix mismatched or missing signatures on their ballots. Here’s how it works.

Civics & Democracy

Democrat Derek Tran is now 397 votes ahead of GOP Rep. Michelle Steel

The race for California's 45th Congressional District remains the tightest in the country.

A 43-year-old Vietnamese American man in a blue suit and checked white and blue shirt converses with an older Vietnamese American woman wearing a maroon sunhat.

Civics & Democracy

Democrat Tran widens lead to 314 votes over GOP's Steel in 45th House District race

The race for the 45th Congressional District in Southern California has become the closest House race in the nation.

Four middle-aged people wearing suits and jackets sit in leather chairs at a dais with an American flag set behind them.

Civics & Democracy

OC supervisor calls for review of county contract with Rep. Michelle Steel’s campaign mail vendor

The review was prompted by reporting from LAist that found Steel directed a $1.2 million taxpayer-funded contract to a company that she was using for her congressional election campaign mailers. At the time, Steel was a county supervisor.

An overview of a room with 11 people sitting behind a semi-circle dais, one woman facing them at a podium, and various people sitting in chairs behind her in the audience.

Education

A hardline OC school board wages a final battle

The Placentia-Yorba Linda School District has been a battleground for culture wars and budget clashes in recent years.

Civics & Democracy

Democrat Derek Tran's lead over GOP's Michelle Steel grows to 102 votes in the 45th House District

Tran grows his lead after Steel took the early lead after Election Day. It's one of the last Congressional races not yet called.

Two lines, one red, one blue, are shown over time indicating a tightening race between a Democrat and Republican

Civics & Democracy

Democrat Derek Tran pulls ahead of GOP's Michelle Steel by 36 votes in the 45th House District

The change in leading candidate came after days of GOP Rep. Steel's lead declining. It's one of the last Congressional races not yet called.

The exterior of a building has a terra cotta-colored stone wall with the words : County of Orange County Administration North

Civics & Democracy

After LAist investigation, high-profile nonprofit refunds Orange County $275K in taxpayer funds for work never completed

The contracted work on mental health equity was supposed to be performed by the longtime partner — now wife — of a top aide to disgraced former county Supervisor Andrew Do. County officials cited LAist reporting in their demand for the money to be returned.