Lucille Kring and Jordan Brandman are leading the Anaheim City Council race, according to the Registrar of Voters’ absentee vote count. Kring, a former councilwoman, has 21.2 percent of the vote and Brandman, a Anaheim Union High School District trustee, has 20.4 percent.
Former labor leader John Leos is third with 13.3 percent and Steve Chavez Lodge is fourth with 10.5 percent of the vote. Linda Linder is fifth with 10.2 percent. Four other candidate have less than 10 percent.
Keep in mind that we are still awaiting results from today’s voting.
The council race is considered high-stakes for City Hall watchers, some of whom have described it as the most important council election in recent memory.
Nine candidates are vying for two open seats left by termed out council members Lorri Galloway and Harry Sidhu. Mayor Tom Tait is backing former labor leader John Leos and former Councilwoman Lucille Kring. Former Mayor Curt Pringle, meanwhile, is supporting schools trustee Jordan Brandman and Hill International Director of Public Affairs Steve Chavez Lodge.
The Tait slate will likely back a ballot measure to require that hotel tax subsidies go to citywide votes, an issue that divided the current council in January. The Pringle-backed slate has opposed the measure. Also, the new council will decide whether to implement council-districts to replace the city’s at-large council election system.
Other critical issues include a possible civilian police oversight commission in the wake of fatal police shootings that sparked a downtown riot and weeks of public unrest in the city.