OC Political

The field is set, with seven candidates officially qualified for the ballot for the March 12 special election to fill the Third Supervisorial District seat, left vacant when Supervisor Todd Spitzer (R-Orange) was elected District Attorney of Orange County.

Special Election Candidates for the Third Supervisorial District (l-r): Don Wagner, Loretta Sanchez, Kris Murray, Deborah Pauly, Katherine Daigle, Larry Bales, Katie Bayliss

There are 5 women and 2 men: Wagner and Bales.  There are 6 Republicans and 1 Democrat: Sanchez. (It should be noted that Supervisor is a nonpartisan race, so party affiliation does not appear on the ballot, and it’s up to the candidates, political parties, and independent expenditures to inform – or misinform – the voters about the party affiliations.)  Their names are listed below as they will appear on the ballot along their ballot designations, followed by the narrative of their electoral history and representation of portions of the Third District:

• Donald P. Wagner (R-Irvine)
  Mayor of Irvine
  Elected Mayor in 2016 and re-elected in 2018, he is the only current elected official running for Supervisor.  He presumably has the highest name ID, having represented nearly the entire district in the State Assembly (2010-2016) and the southern half of the district on the South Orange County Community College District Board.  He was the Assemblyman, the Mayor, or both for 85% of the Third Supervisorial District.
• Loretta Sanchez (D-Orange)
  Educator/Small Businesswoman
  The 20-year Congresswoman (1997-2017) made an ill-fated bid for the United States Senate in 2016, when she was defeated by Kamala Harris in the general election.  She was the Congresswoman for 12% of the Third Supervisorial District.  That 12% overlapped Wagner’s Assembly District.
• Kristine “Kris” Murray (R-Anaheim)
  Orange County Business Owner
  The former Anaheim Councilwoman (2010-2018) termed out of office two months ago.  She was a Councilwoman for 12% of the Third Supervisorial District.  That 12% overlapped Wagner’s Assembly District.
• Deborah Pauly (R-Orange)
  Businesswoman
  Seeking higher office for the third time, the former two-term Villa Park Councilwoman (2006-2014) was defeated for Assembly in 2016 and Supervisor in 2012.   She was a Councilwoman for 1% of the Third Supervisorial District.  Her city of Villa Park was entirely in Wagner’s Assembly District, though she now resides in Orange, which is also in Wagner’s Assembly District.
• Katherine Daigle (R-Irvine)
  Small Business Owner
  A perennial candidate, she made 6 failed bids for elected office: twice for State Assembly (2016 and 2018) and four times for Mayor of Irvine (2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018).  She is also the only candidate in the entire field dumb enough to not get a ballot statement.
• Larry Bales (R-Tustin)
  Retired
  Seeking County office for the seventh time (or eighth time, depending on how you count it), he is another perennial candidate, with 6 unsuccessful candidacies for County office and 1 failed attempt at an appointment to County office.  He ran for Orange County Recorder in 1986 (before the office was merged with the County Clerk).  He ran for Orange County Assessor in 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006.  He sought the appointment to fill the vacancy for Orange County Clerk-Recorder in 2013.
• Kim-Thy “Katie” Hoang Bayliss (R-Tustin)
  Attorney/Businessowner/Mother
  She is the only candidate in the entire field who has never run for office before.  Awkwardly, she had formerly interned for one of her opponents in this race: Loretta Sanchez.  Bayliss has been registered to vote in Tustin (in the Third District) since December 2018 after having previously been registered to vote in Ladera Ranch (in the Fifth District).  Her husband was still registered to vote in Ladera Ranch as of January 7.

This group of candidates has lost 18 elections combined: 12 of those losses belong to Daigle and Bales.

While Bales is 76 and Bayliss turns 39 just two days before the election, the rest of the candidates are remarkably close in age, as Sanchez, Pauly, and Daigle are all 59, Wagner is 58, and Murray is 51.

Yorba Linda is the unknown neutral zone in the Third Supervisorial District, as none of the seven candidates have ever been elected to anything representing Yorba Linda nor do any of the seven live there.

Below are the ballot statements of each candidate.  I would not be surprised if some of these change, as there are certainly portions that could be challenged in court in some of these ballot statements.

Wagner:

Mayor Don Wagner has a history of getting the job done while being a good steward of taxpayer dollars. He understands how hard we work for every dollar, and he is committed to delivering the best county services at the lowest price.

Don is tough on crime. In the legislature he opposed reducing penalties for sex offenders who prey on children. As Supervisor, he’ll increase funding for law enforcement to help people in high crime areas take back their communities.

Don has a plan to solve the homeless crisis. He’ll make sure our veterans, women, and children never spend a night outside. His plan also provides compassionate treatment options for addicts and the mentally ill.

Don is fiscally responsible. During six years as President of the South Orange County Community College District he balanced every budget and paid off all debt, without raising taxes.

Don is committed to increasing our quality of life. As Irvine Mayor, he enacted a traffic plan to reduce gridlock, improved our park system, and accelerated build out of the Orange County Great Park.

Don’s reasoned, collaborative approach to problem solving is why every mayor in the district supports him. Your vote helps Don Wagner continue working for us.

Don Wagner

www.ElectDonWagner.com

Sanchez:

With over 30 years of government service, infrastructure development, and business expertise, I am highly experienced as a qualified candidate for the Orange County Board of Supervisors, District 3.

I have made Orange County my home for over 55 years and represented us in Congress for 20 years. I graduated from Katella High School, Chapman University (BA, Economics), and American University (MBA).

Named one of the “25 Most Influential Women of Congress” in 2015, I secured billions of federal dollars to widen our freeways, develop our world-class water recycling system, protect our environment, improve healthcare services, and fund research at UCI, Chapman, and Cal State Fullerton. I know how to get more of our tax dollars back to Orange County. As Supervisor, I will continue to work with local, state, and federal officials to make our schools stronger, our streets safer, and housing more affordable.

Since retiring from Congress in 2017, I have been working on solutions to homelessness, raising private funds for a homeless women’s shelter, mentoring candidates for public office, and consulting on business development issues.

I’m running for Supervisor because I have dedicated my life to making Orange County a wonderful place to live and work. Working together, we can achieve our priorities and move Orange County forward.

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (retired)

www.sanchezforocsupervisor.com

Murray (the only candidate to list her age in her ballot statement):

AGE: 51

I am running for Orange County Supervisor, with more than two decades of public service to Orange County, where the needs of residents, local businesses and taxpayers always come first.

As Mayor Pro Tem and City Councilwoman: I decreased 911 response times by increasing sworn personnel, neighborhood patrols and firefighting resources, reduced traffic by improving infrastructure, and opened Orange County’s first full-service homeless shelter away from schools and homes while eliminating homeless tent cities/encampments.

As a champion of fiscal responsibility: I balanced city budgets, lowered taxes, doubled cash reserves, authored the Taxpayer Protection Act, defended homeowners’ Prop. 13 protections and kept city and utility fees low, all while expanding transparency at City Hall.

On the economic front: I led efforts to grow thousands of local, high-paying jobs and keep world-champion Angels Baseball and Anaheim Ducks in Orange County.

As Orange County Supervisor, I will immediately get to work to reduce crime and improve wildfire protection, provide significant resources to address homelessness, support traffic-reducing measures and vigorously protect open space, trails and parks.

I’m the candidate endorsed by Orange County Business Council, California Women’s Leadership Association, our local Chamber of Commerce, as well as public safety and community leaders.

I humbly ask for your vote to serve you as Orange County Supervisor and to put our community first.

www.ElectKrisMurray.com

Pauly (the only candidate to purchase a 400-word ballot statement):

I’m running to give voters an independent option as their voice on the Board of Supervisors. Elected officials who are beholden to special interest groups, at either extreme of the political spectrum, do not make decisions furthering the greater good. I am obligated only to the citizens and US Constitution, which I vow to uphold.

I served active duty in the US Air Force in public affairs, where patriotism and civic duty merged into understanding how policy decisions today impact our communities tomorrow.

As a former city councilwoman, I’ve proven myself able and reliable. Local control and protecting the uniqueness in our District are paramount. Therefore, in the following, I support:

Anaheim – directing County traffic engineers to improve traffic flow and relieve bottlenecks. I will demand better fire coordination, improved resources and better planning so we don’t repeat the October 2017 Canyon 2 Fire.

Orange – recognizing the special communities that encompass this great city. From Old Town to Orange Park Acres and myriad barrios in between, diversity is a great part of Orange’s charm worth protecting.

North Tustin – respecting and defending the intent of the Foothill Trabuco Specific Plan, which is the foundation ensuring the special quality of life in our largest unincorporated area.

Irvine and Tustin – resisting future efforts to build overly dense housing on County-owned property. I will block placing homeless shelters near schools or parks.

Yorba Linda – ensuring this gracious city never relives anything like the 2008 Freeway Complex Fire. I will demand any future development on County-zoned property includes a net benefit to existing residents by providing traffic relief, additional fire infrastructure and fire breaks.

Villa Park and Yorba Linda – soliciting their input, as contract cities, prior to approving OC Sheriff’s contracts which heavily impact their budgets.

Irvine Lake – it is an outrage that this recreational jewel has been closed to the public due to infighting. I will bring the parties together to reopen this asset for the community’s enjoyment.

Finally, I support a Veterans’ Cemetery in our District.

Accessibility has always been a hallmark of my public service. I genuinely enjoy hearing from constituents, getting to know them and understanding what concerns them. I have lived in the 3rd District for two decades. The best ideas come from voters. Together, we can Make Orange County Great, Again!

I humbly ask for your vote. I consider it a sacred trust. DeborahPauly@gmail.com (714) 394-8400

Daigle:

(No ballot statement)

Bales:

I am a Viet Nam Veteran; my family has served in every United States conflict including the Revolutionary War of Independence.

While working for the County of Orange, I exposed political corruption and unfair treatment of taxpayers that eventually resulted in 45 indictments and 45 convictions of corrupted elected officials. Among them, a Congressman, the first one to be removed from Congress since the Civil War. My efforts, in stopping unfair and illegal property tax practices, directly contributed to the passage of Proposition 13. I support Prop 13.

I am against the “split roll” property tax being proposed. It will raise your taxes. Our commercial and industrial business community already suffers from unfair competition and are either moving out of state or going out of business. Lost jobs.

I continue to be concerned about our election process and in 2016 exposed and brought forward election fraud charges against your former Assessor Webster Guillory, resulting in 5 election felony charges.

I have not and will not accept Special Interest money or untraceable Dark Money from Special Interest.

Special Interest and Dark Money corrupts your representation to the point where, “We the people,” no longer exists.

I support legal immigration and election laws.

Bayliss:

Having someone who represents your values on the Board is critical. I know my decisions as Supervisor will impact real people of Orange County and I take this responsibility seriously.

I believe money belongs to the people who earn it. If you produce it, you should keep more of it. That’s why I oppose higher taxes. I know putting money back into the hands of people who buy goods and create jobs stimulates economic growth.

I believe in the free market where low prices are a result of fair and open competition. As an attorney and Supervisor, I will be open to receiving bids and reviewing them diligently to find the best prices and options.

I will get involved and not look at an issue from the outside. To better understand homelessness, I personally surveyed the homeless population to better assess their needs and gain an inside perspective on how funds should be allocated.

I believe in a fiscally responsible government. With my financial industry experience, I will work to keep the County debt down and ensure our budget is balanced.

I believe in protecting our children with communities of low crime, excellent schools, and clean parks.

Visit me at voteforkatiebayliss.com.