Here’s a quick look at the top 10 stories of the 2018 general election in Orange County:
- OC Congressional Delegation Now Consists of Five Democrats and Two Republicans
In a political earthquake for Orange County, the 4-3 Republican majority in OC’s Congressional delegation is now a 5-2 Democratic majority. The three senior members of the delegation are leaving Congress: Dana Rohrabacher (elected 1988), Ed Royce (elected 1992), and Darrell Issa (elected 2000); all three are Republicans and only Royce will be succeeded by a member of his own party. While Royce and Issa both announced their retirements earlier this year, Rohrabacher has been defeated for re-election by businessman Harley Rouda (D-Laguna Beach). Royce will be succeeded by former Assemblywoman Young Kim (R-Fullerton) while Issa will be succeeded by Clean Energy Advocate Mike Levin (D-San Juan Capistrano). While Board of Equalization Member Diane Harkey (R-Dana Point) defeated Levin in Orange County, her undoing was Levin’s strong lead in San Diego County. The three most senior members of the OC delegation are now Linda Sanchez (elected 2002), Alan Lowenthal (elected 2012), and Mimi Walters (elected 2014). In a House of Representatives ruled by seniority, the OC delegation is severely lacking in seniority. - Democrats’ Assembly Supermajority Hinges on Whether Matthew Harper Survives
Orange County’s 5-2 Republican delegation could fall to being a 4-3 Republican delegation if Assemblyman Matthew Harper (R-Huntington Beach) is unable to hold his narrow lead over Small Business Owner Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach). Harper’s defeat would produce a Democratic supermajority in the State Assembly to go along with the Democratic supermajority in the State Senate (Democrats captured a Republican-held State Senate seat in the Central Valley last night). Harper leads Petrie-Norris by 672 votes out of 120,164 votes cast, or 0.6%. Late absentee ballots and provisional ballots have not yet been counted and most certainly could flip the lead. - District Attorney-Elect Todd Spitzer
For what appears to be the first time in Orange County history, a sitting District Attorney has been defeated for re-election. 20-Year District Attorney Tony Rackauckas (R) has been defeated for re-election by Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer (R). Spitzer’s election also creates a special election in the Third Supervisorial District. Spitzer’s victory was so sweeping that he leads in 27 of Orange County’s 34 cities, winning everywhere except Little Saigon and the northern beach cities. - Tim Shaw Leads, But Fourth District Supervisor is Too Close to Call
La Habra Mayor Tim Shaw (R) leads Fullerton Mayor Doug Chaffee (D) by just 1,610 votes out of 87,404 votes cast. Chaffee won the Fourth District’s three largest cities, Anaheim, Fullerton, and Buena Park, but Shaw ran up the total in his wins in the three smallest cities, La Habra, Placentia, and Brea, particularly with the landslide in his own city of La Habra. There are still an enormous number of late absentee ballots and provisional ballots that could still change the result in this seat. - Assemblyman-Elect Tyler Diep
In the race to succeed Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach), Westminster Councilman Tyler Diep (R) defeated FreeConferenceCall.com CEO Josh Lowenthal (D-Huntington Beach) to retain this Assembly seat for Republicans. Diep’s concurrent service with Senator Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove) makes California the first state ever with two Vietnamese-Americans serving in the State Legislature at the same time. - Mayor-Elect Harry Sidhu and the New Anaheim Council Majority
Anaheim voters delivered a new majority on their City Council. Former Anaheim Councilman Harry Sidhu (R) was elected Mayor of Anaheim last night. Businessman Trevor O’Neil (R) won the open Council seat in Anaheim Hills. Former Councilman Jordan Brandman (D) defeated Councilman James Vanderbilt (R) in West Anaheim’s District 2 seat. Councilman Jose Moreno (D) won re-election in Central Anaheim’s District 3 seat. - Newport Beach Ousts Two Incumbents, Ending Council Majority
While Councilmembers Diane Dixon (R) and Kevin Muldoon (R) won landslide re-elections, Councilman Scott Peotter (R) was defeated by Businesswoman Joy Brenner (R), and Councilman Duffy Duffield (R) is narrowly losing to Businessman Tim Stoaks (R). With Peotter’s defeat and Duffield’s probable defeat, Newport Beach’s Council majority comes to an end. - Lake Forest Sweep
In a sweeping rebuke of incivility, Lake Forest voters elected Neeki Moatazedi (R) decisively over Sonny Morper (R) and elected former Councilman Mark Tettemer (R) to oust Mayor Jim Gardner (R) from office. Moatazedi and Tettemer join Councilman Scott Voigts (R), who was unopposed for re-election when his opponent failed to qualify for the ballot, and Councilman Dwight Robinson (R) in a new 4-1 supermajority of civility. Just ten months after the recall of Councilman Drew Hamilton (R) in which former Councilman Adam Nick’s allies won a 3-2 majority on the City Council, the voters have not only reversed the Nick majority but reduced down to 1 seat (which will be up for election in 2020). A key turning point in the campaign came when Nick’s side sent a mailer so disgusting that multiple TV channels covered it, for it was so sexist that it called Moatazedi a “bikini model” and made up three fictional criminal record numbers with a photo of an inmate falsely implying that it was Moatazedi. That mailer backfired into not only the media coverage but also campaign money and independent expenditures to oust Nick’s allies from the Council. - Irvine’s New Councilmembers
For the first time in 14 years, no incumbent Irvine Councilmember sought re-election (though Mayor Don Wagner (R) was re-elected last night). Planning Commissioner Anthony Kuo (R) is the top vote getter while Businesswoman Farrah Khan (D) and Transportation Commissioner Carrie O’Malley (R) are neck-and-neck for the second Council seat, with Khan ahead by 389 votes, or 0.5%. - Santa Ana Councilwoman-Elect Ceci Iglesias
For the first time in a decade, Santa Ana citizens voted to elect a Republican to their City Council, with School Board Member Ceci Iglesias winning the Ward 6 seat by a decisive margin. (The last Republican on the Santa Ana Council, Carlos Bustamante, was re-elected in 2008 to a term ending in 2012.) Iglesias’s election creates a vacancy on the Santa Ana Unified School District Board, which will be filled by appointment.
Honorable Mention
- There’s a New Sheriff in Town
While it was widely expected that Undersheriff Don Barnes (R) would be elected Sheriff of Orange County, it’s always a major news story when there’s a new Sheriff. Barnes decisively defeated Los Angeles County District Attorney Investigator Duke Nguyen (D) with 57% of the vote.
Upcoming News Story Due to Last Night’s Results
- Race for Third District Supervisor
With the election of Supervisor Todd Spitzer as District Attorney of Orange County, an early 2019 special election will take place to fill the remaining two years on Spitzer’s Supervisorial term. Retiring Anaheim Councilwoman Kris Murray (R) and Businessman Andy Thorburn (D) have already announced for Spitzer’s Supervisorial seat. Thorburn spent millions in his unsuccessful bid in the primary election for the 39th Congressional District. Other early rumored candidates include Irvine Mayor Don Wagner (R), former Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang (D), and Yorba Linda Councilwoman Peggy Huang (R).
(In the interest of full disclosure, Western American, the company that owns OC Political, serves as the political consultants for Sidhu, O’Neil, Voigts, Moatazedi, and Tettemer, as well as doing secondary consultant work for Kuo. Additionally, this blogger is Spitzer’s alternate on the Central Committee of the Republican Party of Orange County.)
This came over the wire just minutes ago from Anaheim Mayor-Elect Harry Sidhu:
OC Political 