Democratic Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris was ahead of Republican Newport Beach City Councilwoman Diane Dixon, according to Election Day ballot tallies from the OC Registrar of Voters.
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The deciding factor is likely to be the no party preference voters, who make up a quarter of the district’s registered voters.
Petrie-Norris, who was first elected in 2018, is looking to expand free preschools, address climate change and reroute funding from school administrations to classrooms, according to her campaign website.
Dixon is aiming to address pension debt, protect the coastline by maintaining sea walls and address mental illness and substance abuse in the homeless community.
Petrie-Norris has far out-fundraised Dixon with over $2 million as of mid-October, while Dixon had raised $565,000, according to campaign finance disclosures.