Orange voters were electing their City Council members by district for the first time, while also deciding the fate of a controversial development proposal that became a key dividing line among candidates.
Author Archives: Nick Gerda
Nick covers the city of Santa Ana, as well as the County of Orange, often reporting on issues like homelessness, public safety, mental health, and the role of money in politics.
Since joining Voice of OC in 2011, Nick has regularly shed light on topics that are often kept in the shadows. He’s reported on systemic problems in the county’s mental health system. He also led a reporting team that produced sophisticated looks at how the Disney corporation campaign contributions influenced recent elections in Anaheim.
Nick also revealed evidence of elected leaders using their official powers to apparently pressure government contractors into donating to their election campaigns, in an article that was awarded best news story of the year by the Orange County Press Club. He firmly believes journalism should inform the public and help hold the powerful accountable.
An Orange County native, Nick first started covering local government in his mid-teens, before attending Santa Ana College, the American University in Cairo, and UC Irvine, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
Languages spoken: English, elementary Spanish, minimal Arabic and minimal Japanese
Areas of expertise: Local government, local politics, homelessness, mental health policy, campaign finance, California Public Records Act, Ralph M. Brown Act, County of Orange government, Santa Ana city government and municipal finance.
Posted inCountywide
Election Night Results Are In for Contests Across Orange County
The first results reflect a large portion of the vote, amid one of the largest early voting turnouts in modern history.
Posted inCountywide
2020 Election Night Results: 1st District OC Supervisor
One of the hottest local election battles of 2020, the 1st District supervisor’s race pitted the two candidates against each other for a seat on the county’s powerful Board of Supervisors.
Posted inCountywide
Election Day Kicks Off With Two-Thirds of Orange County Votes Already Cast
There’s a massive wave of early voting that will help decide crucial local races from city councils to Congress.
Posted inCountywide
Orange County Plays Out As a Central Battleground for Power in Sacramento
Here’s a rundown of the hottest contests to represent Orange County in the state Senate and Assembly.
Posted inCountywide
Federal Grand Jury Issued Subpoenas Regarding Santa Ana Police Union President
Gerry Serrano, a highly influential figure in city politics, hasn’t responded to requests for comment.
Posted inCountywide
The Top Election Spenders in OC’s Biggest Cities and Who They’re Backing
Here’s a simple look at the biggest spenders in Anaheim, Santa Ana and Irvine and who they’re backing or opposing.
Posted inCountywide
OC Prosecutors ‘Inappropriately Abandoned’ Plan to Tell Defendants About Informant Violations, DA Says
The move came after an appeals court found prosecutors had systemically violated defendants’ rights with an illegal informant program, according to the DA’s office.
Posted inCountywide
Hotly Contested Supervisor Race Pits Republican Andrew Do Against Democrat Sergio Contreras
The outcome will decide if Republicans keep their 4-to-1 supermajority on the powerful Board of Supervisors.
Posted inCountywide
Hate Crimes Spiking Across Orange County, Up 89 Percent Since 2015, According to New Report
It comes amid national focus on rising hate crimes, especially against Asian Americans during the pandemic.
