Former city councilman Harry Sidhu was in the lead election night with 36.0 percent of votes over the 29.4 percent for the second highest vote-getter, attorney Ashleigh Aitken, based 1:40 a.m. update Nov. 7.
The third highest vote-getter was former city councilwoman Lorri Galloway with 14.4 percent, followed by cemetery district trustee and citizen watchdog Cynthia Ward with 9.4 percent. So far, 41,597 voters have been tallied in the Anaheim mayor race.
Almost all of the Election Day votes on electronic voting machines have been counted, though there remain an unknown number of mail-in and provisional ballots left to count. In close races in Orange County, the winner may not be known for days or weeks.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated with new counts on election night. The final update was at 1:40 a.m. See an archive below of each Voice of OC update.
With the city’s current Mayor, Tom Tait, termed out, eight candidates have thrown their hat into the ring to lead a city that is facing yet another pivotal election. With Tait, a vocal opponent of corporate subsidies, on his way out and three city council seats up for grabs, the council majority could flip to one that has opposed corporate welfare to one friendlier to Disney and local tourism industry businesses.
In District 2, former city councilman Jordan Brandman has a lead over incumbent James Vanderbilt with 40.3 percent to to 31.4 percent for Vanderbilt. Teacher and community activist Duane Roberts followed with 21 percent.
In District 3, incumbent councilman Jose Moreno leads local businessman Mitch Caldwell 50.4 percent to 32.9 percent. Aircraft mechanic Robert Nelson followed with 16.7 percent.
In District 6, small business owner Trevor O’Neil leads retired teacher Patty Gaby 45.9 percent to 35.2 percent percent. Urban planning consultant Grant Henninger received 19 percent.
Brandman, Caldwell and O’Neil have all been backed by Disney.
Depending on how close the races are, it could be weeks before the results are decided. In the June primary, 42 percent of all ballots in Orange County were not counted at the end of election night. Many mail-in ballots did not arrive at the county elections office until the Friday deadline.
ELECTION COUNT UPDATES:
[8:05 p.m. Election Day, Nov. 6] The first reported election count showed Harry Sidhu with 37.4 percent of votes over 29 percent for the second highest vote-getter Aitken. In the three council races, the top highest vote-getters were Jordan Brandman (41.4 percent), Jose Moreno (47.8 percent) and O’Neil (44.4 percent).
[12:30 a.m. Nov. 7] The update includes precinct and vote-by-mail ballots. The margins have stayed relatively the same in all the races.
[1:40 a.m. Nov. 7] Updated to reflect latest vote count. The margins have stayed relatively the same in all races.
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