Orange County’s Board of Supervisors will have two new women assuming leadership slots just as the last two female supervisors both move into the California State Senate.
In the second supervisorial district, representing several coastal communities like Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, Michelle Park Steel came out ahead of Republican State Assemblyman Alan Mansoor, garnering nearly 63 percent, or 52,842 votes.
Mansoor gathered 32,978 votes or 37.3 percent of the vote with 362 of 421 precincts reporting results into the early hours of Wednesday.
In the fifth supervisorial district, representing most of South County, Dana Point Mayor Lisa Bartlett bested Laguna Niguel Mayor Mayor Robert Ming, earning 55.6 percent of early returns with 51,141 votes.
Ming had earned 41,996 votes — giving him 45 percent of the vote with 433 of 438 precincts reporting results.
Steel – a termed out member of the State Board of Equalization – was out in front of Mansoor from the outset of the campaign, both in terms of fundraising and political endorsements.
The Korean American candidate raised more than $758,766 in direct contributions, tapping into a statewide profile — she serves on the California Republican Party Board of Directors and is married to former party chairman Shawn Steel.
In addition to hundreds of donations from Korean American professionals and business owners, Steel’s contributors include: OC Business Council’s BIZPAC; Assoc. Builders and Contractors of Southern California; AT&T California Employee PAC; Building Industry of Southern California PAC; California Bankers Assn. PAC and the California Professional Firefighters PAC, to name some.
Steel’s endorsements include District Attorney Tony Rackauckas; Sheriff Sandra Hutchens; Reps. Dana Rohrabacher and Darrell Issa; former state Assemblyman Curt Pringle; and Supervisors Shawn Nelson, Patricia Bates, Todd Spitzer and Janet Nguyen.
Mansoor, who is a former Costa Mesa city councilman, highlighted a local twist to his endorsements, with backing from elected officials within his assembly district like Costa Mesa Mayor Jim Righeimer and Huntington Beach Mayor Matthew Harper.
Mansoor’s fundraising was far behind Steel, raising $161,348 from local politicians, business interests and several health industry political action committees.
His donors included: the National Federation of Independent Business; California Real Estate PAC; Philip Morris USA, California Beer and Beverage Distributors Community Affairs PAC; California Cable and Telecom Assn. PAC; Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assoc. Small Contributor Committee; and more than $17,000 from state health industry PACs.
Meanwhile, the fundraising battle for the fifth district was far closer with Bartlett and Ming raising nearly identical amounts.
Ming’s total as of Nov. 1 was $255,201, just ahead of Bartlett’s $246,922 in contributions.
Ming’s contributors include the Family Action PAC; Los Angeles County Republican Leadership Voter Guide; and California Construction Trucking Assn.
Bartlett’s contributors include the Dana Point Shipyard; Stop the Dock Tax Assn. PAC; and six companies or committees associated with the bail bond industry.
Both candidates have received donations from construction, building and real estate political committees.
Ming, who has been endorsed by the county Republican Party, edged ahead of Bartlett in the primary by just 2.5 percent.