Early ballot returns show incumbent Sandy Rains leading all candidates for the race to one of three open seats on the Laguna Niguel City Council.

Live election results below thanks to a partnership with the Reynolds Journalism Institute. CLICK HERE to view live results for every Orange County race.

She was closely followed by Kelly Jennings and Rischi Paul Sharma.

With a total of eight candidates including one incumbent, Sharma led all candidates with money raised for his campaign, fundraising almost $60,000.

Editors’ Note: This dispatch is part of the Voice of OC Youth Media program, working with student journalists to cover public policy issues across Orange County. If you would like to submit your own student media project related to Orange County civics or if you have any response to this work, contact Digital Editor Sonya Quick at squick@voiceofoc.org.

All candidates have laid out their goals and priorities for the city with a population of nearly 70,000 people. With the majority of seats on the City Council up for grabs, the newcomers and the returning council members will have to deal with the consequences of COVID-19 and other issues the city is facing.

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