It’s election year once again in Orange County, and nearly 11 months out from Election Day many of the county’s most contested seats are already in the thick of campaigning.
The biggest focus is coming on seats up in the June primary election, where three county supervisors and every one of Orange County’s newly drawn congressional seats will be on the ballot.
Showdown for New Congressional Districts Heats Up
California voters are about to vote in brand new congressional districts after voters approved Proposition 50, which redrew the state’s congressional districts in a way that boosted many Democrats in Orange County.
Read: Here’s How Prop. 50 Could Reshape Orange County’s Political Landscape
One of the most competitive districts between Republicans is in the newly drawn 40th District, which covers parts of Orange County including Anaheim Hills, Rancho Santa Margarita, Mission Viejo and parts of Corona as well as Lake Elsinore and Murrieta.
Republican Congressman Ken Calvert represented most of that area under his previous district, but OC Republican Congresswoman Young Kim has announced she plans to challenge him for the seat.
Many of Orange County’s biggest Republicans have already aligned themselves with Calvert, including county Supervisor Don Wagner and five board members of the Lincoln Club, a conservative fundraising group that spends heavily in local politics.
[Read: Major OC Republican Group Lost on 96% of its Big Local Bets in Latest Election]
“I am the strongest conservative in this race, which is why nearly 100 of the district’s most respected conservative voices, local leaders, and elected officials in Orange and Riverside Counties have already lined up behind my campaign,” Calvert said in a statement to Voice of OC. “I am the only candidate in this race who has proudly stood with President Trump since 2016 and look forward to earning the votes of Orange County voters.”
Kim’s also still holding a slate of endorsements from local elected officials, including the entire county board of education, county treasurer Shari Freidenrich and a slate of city council members from all over the county.
A campaign spokesperson for Kim said her position in the race is strong.
“Representative Young Kim has a proven record of winning tough campaigns and fighting for key issues that are part of the America First Agenda,” said Sam Oh, Kim’s campaign consultant, adding, “She’s in it to win it.”
[Read: Santana: Amid The Cold Chill of a Holiday Lull, a Race for Congress in OC Heats Up]
Kim had over $4.7 million on hand at the end of September according to her filings, while Calvert had about $2.9 million.
In the newly drawn 42nd Congressional District, which covers the California coast line from Long Beach down through cities like Newport and Huntington Beach, residents are also looking at a new congress member.
Right now, the biggest candidate in the race is Congressman Robert Garcia, former mayor of Long Beach who’s pledged to get involved in Orange County’s local politics if he gets elected.
“I’m taking on more Republicans than any Democrat in the state of California,” Garcia said at a rally in October. “When they asked me ‘are you willing to do it?’ I said absolutely. Bring it the fuck on.”
Garcia’s spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.
No clear Republican frontrunner has emerged in the race.
A New Supervisor Comes to North Orange County
There’s a four way race building up to determine the next county supervisor for most of Orange County as Supervisor Doug Chaffee is terming out at the end of this year.
The fourth district covers cities like Fullerton, Buena Park and Placentia along the county’s northeastern edge.
Buena Park Mayor Connor Traut already has the endorsement of the county Democrat party along with Chaffee’s blessing, along with several fire department unions across his district.
He’s running against county Board of Education member Tim Shaw, who’s also a former La Habra City Councilman running with the endorsement of the Republican Party.
Shaw previously ran up against Chaffee in 2018 and lost by just over a thousand votes.
Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung and La Habra City Councilwoman Rose Espinoza are also running for the seat without backing from either party.
The district’s voters are largely Democrats according to data from the OC Registrar of Voters, which show over 40% of voters as registered Democrats compared to around a 30% piece for Republicans.
Jung was leading the way on fundraising, with over $230,000 in the bank as of June, the last time candidates had to file their fundraising disclosures.
Traut had over $200,000 in the bank by that point, while Shaw had $20,000 by that deadline, lending himself $5,000 of his own funds.
Espinoza invested over $150,000 of her own money in the race in October, but has not disclosed any donations from residents, according to campaign finance records.
Democrat Supervisors Aim to Keep Their Seats
In south Orange County’s fifth district, Supervisor Katrina Foley is running to keep her seat on the board for another four years.
It’s a post she’s held since 2021 after she won her election by over 6,000 votes, but is now facing a challenge from Republican State Assemblywoman Diane Dixon.
Foley had over $228,000 in the bank as of June, while Dixon had around $62,000 according to disclosures.
The district’s registered voters lean Republican according to data from the county registrar, with around 38% of the district’s 435,000 voters registered as Republican compared to 32% registered as Democrat.
Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento is also running for reelection on the board as a Democrat in the Second District, which represents cities like Santa Ana, Orange, and chunks of Anaheim and Tustin.
The Republican Party has not yet endorsed a challenger for Sarmiento’s seat.
Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org.