Preamble
In Orange County, municipal elections for each of the 34 independent cities which comprise it are held without primaries, taking place instead in the November general election. We have made only four endorsements in the general election this cycle: three in Santa Ana, one in Irvine. That said, Orange County is a place in flux and part of our focus on these races specifically is because we want to make a real difference in building democratic socialism, rather than spreading ourselves too thin and diluting our power. There are many other races across the county where we see the potential for positive change—and in a moment of rising fascism it is important that we elect people who will make our work more safe and feasible in future years. This voter guide is intended to help provide context and a DSA analysis of races across the county, especially given that they are officially nonpartisan, and to help DSA members and allies make informed decisions at the ballot box so that we can keep growing and fighting for the better Orange County we all know is possible.
To be extremely clear: the listings in this guide are not endorsements. Endorsements require completion of our endorsement process (including passing a vote of the membership). This process is required to approve the commitment of our chapter’s time and resources to winning those campaigns. Recommendations cannot and, necessarily, do not commit our chapter’s resources to campaigns. None of the non-endorsed campaigns discussed below are necessarily socialists or DSA members who agree with our program. However, in the spirit of wanting to improve our organizing conditions on the ground and bettering our collective engagement with politics in Orange County, what follows are our brief analyses. To help shape future races, and the future of Orange County, join DSA today!
In solidarity,
OC DSA Electoral Politics Committee
Table of Contents
For federal, proposition, statewide, state legislature, and Board of Equalization contests: see the California DSA Voter Guide.
County Board of Supervisors • Aliso Viejo • Anaheim • Brea • Buena Park • Costa Mesa • Cypress • Fountain Valley • Fullerton • Garden Grove • Huntington Beach • Irvine • La Habra • La Palma • Laguna Beach • Laguna Hills • Laguna Woods • Lake Forest • Los Alamitos • Mission Viejo • Newport Beach • Orange • Placentia • Rancho Santa Margarita • San Clemente • San Juan Capistrano • Santa Ana • Seal Beach • Stanton • Tustin • Westminster • Yorba Linda • Other Races
The following cities have no municipal office elections because they were uncontested:
Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, and Villa Park
County Board of Supervisors
OC Board of Supervisors, District 4
The open seat among supervisors is the Fourth Supervisorial District—spanning most of OC’s northern cities: La Habra, Brea, Placenta, Fullerton, Buena Park, Stanton, and a swath of Anaheim. The main attraction here is Connor Traut: a young, fairly traditional Democrat running to replace ConservaDem Doug Chaffee’s seat. Chaffee, on his way out, even backed outgoing MAGA Republican assemblymember Diane Dixon in her race to reclaim Supervisorial District 5 for the Republicans.Traut’s is running on non-objectionable renewable energy, and he’s the most pro-union candidate here and is backed by labor as a result. Unfortunately he’s also running on his track record of supporting hiring more police during his time in Buena Park. The Republican-endorsed candidate, OC Board of Education Trustee Tim Shaw, is running his campaign back after being narrowly defeated by Chaffee for this seat in 2018. Shaw’s endorsement page (the only one outside of Traut’s) is a real murderer’s row. Traut is the only real option to cast a ballot for here, but (like Katrina Foley) he’s not where he needs to be on policing for us to fully recommend. No recommendation.
OC Board of Supervisors, District 5
Running down the county’s southern coast from Costa Mesa to Laguna to San Clemente (diagonally bisecting Irvine along the way), Orange County’s Fifth Supervisorial District is probably the hottest race of the bunch. Incumbent Katrina Foley flipped this Republican-leaning district for the Democrats in 2022—since then she’s been engaging in ultra-pragmatic politics, and has become a strong ally to labor in OC. A skilled administrator, Foley has been a fairly progressive supervisor, from developing a climate action plan for the district to being an ardent supporter of LGBTQ rights; but has also consistently advocated for directing more money to policing across her tenure in government, which she touts on her campaign page, and has received some heat from environmental activist groups for herbicide spraying in D5’s waterways. Foley also supported the disbanding of the UCI Palestine encampment in 2024, in a strangely (but typically, for Foley) depoliticized statement which didn’t describe any of the content or context of the protest—but advocated its dispersal nonetheless. Her opponent is Diane Dixon, the outgoing Republican assemblywoman for the 72nd district who is vacating her statehouse perch specifically to unseat Foley. She’s anti-union, anti-environmental regulation, anti-minimum wage increases, opposed Prop 6, etc. There’s technically a third candidate on the ballot as well, Lucy Vellema, who is potentially more law and order than even Dixon: “The [Board of Supervisors] should direct the FBI, DOJ and the DAs office to enforce the law!” It’s a tight race, and Foley is the best choice, but (like with Traut) her support for (and from) police and policing means we can’t fully recommend her. No recommendation.
Aliso Viejo
Located in inland south Orange County, Aliso Viejo is the newest city of the county’s 34. This election, AV had three council seats up for election in Districts 2, 3, and 4. District 4 was won by acclamation by the city’s sole Democratic councillor Tiffany Ackley. Districts 2 and 3—currently held by Republicans—are being challenged by progressive opponents.
Current AV Mayor and District 2 councilmember Max Duncan proudly posted a photo with the Confederate flag on his Facebook and simultaneously tried to keep a city council meeting going for seven hours in order to ban displays of the Pride flag. His not-so-flag-obsessed opponent, Steven Von der Porten, is running a people-powered campaign to replace him. Hoping to protect civil liberties, safeguard human rights, and to restore transparency and accountability to local government. Von der Porten is not shy about his intent to protect residents of AV from overreach by Federal agencies and the need for local protections. He also offers common-sense solutions to improve safety and lower the cost of living, such as by championing FireWise USA community certifications to mitigate wildfire risks and directly drive down soaring wildfire insurance premiums and HOA fees in a city council district that is marked bright red (high hazard) in California’s state Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps. Last year, the MAGA council raised campaign contribution limits to the maximum of $5,900 per person, Von der Porten’s campaign offers hope that a new majority might lower those limits again and help get money out of local politics. We recommend Steven Von der Porten in District 2.
In the blue-leaning District 3, comprising the Aliso Viejo town center, its progressive versus unelected appointee. After former mayor and popular city council member Richard Hurt resigned his seat, the remaining MAGA city council members appointed another MAGA councilmember, Garrett Dwyer, to replace him. Dwyer is actively trying to bring Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) to the city, while his opponent, Marie Tsaasan, is strictly against Flock cameras and mass surveillance. In place of the MAGA appointee, Tsaasan has been running a volunteer-driven campaign, endorsed by labor, on the premise of “neighbors helping neighbors.” Tsaasan’s platform champions renter protections through advocacy for tenants associations, community outreach to drive new housing development so that it fits local needs and remains affordable for the next generation, and investment in infrastructure improvements that will guarantee safe streets for bikes and kids. We recommend Marie Tsaasan in District 3.
| City Council District 2 | City Council District 3 |
| Recommended: Steven Von der Porten | Recommended: Marie Tsaasan |
Anaheim
The House of Mouse: Anaheim. Really, Anaheim is much more than Disney’s tourist trap property squat, it’s also the heart of North OC with a large working class and Spanish-speaking population. Anaheim is also the site of high-profile fights over housing and STRs, labor struggle (like the recent SBWU strike at Downtown Disney), and recently even a PFAS water contamination issue. But that’s also all just the tip of the iceberg, the largest city in the county—where all the incumbents are Certified Police Approved—certainly bats its weight in scandal (sadly, batting a higher average there than the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim). This cycle the Mayor and City Council District 3 are up for election, after Districts 2 and 6 were decided by acclamation.
Moderate Democratic incumbent Mayor Ashleigh Aitken is currently under fire after she allegedly drunkenly called her chief of staff racial slurs, insulted her religion, and invasively questioned her sexuality. She also was accused by her chief of staff of unethically taking a trip to Qatar this year. Her opponents are both seemingly right-wing challengers. One, Imran Shareif, wants to “address the homeless issue with empathy and enforcement” (enforcement of…?); the other, Alfredo Rodriguez, seems completely AI-generated. We really can’t make a recommendation here.
In District 3, incumbent Democrat Natalie Rubalcava faces progressive challenger Elia Renteria-Garcia. Rubalcava, who was elected with the help of almost $380,000 from a Disney-linked PAC, has caught heat recently for posting photos with a cop who allegedly murdered a 19-year old man last year, faced recall led by the hotel workers’ union (UNITE HERE) in 2024, and has been supported by many of the same backers of disgraced former Mayor Harry Siddhu. While Renteria-Garcia is still somewhat enigmatic, she has made overtures to local progressive groups and is running on expanding rental assistance and housing-stability programs as well as expanding city services for seniors and youth. With all this in mind, we recommend voting for Elia Renteria-Garcia in District 3.
| District 3 |
| Recommended: Elia Renteria-Garcia |
Brea
Going for Trump in 2024 by around 300 votes (less than 2%), Brea is one of north county’s smallest cities and is on the verge of flipping from Republicans. You wouldn’t know it from the candidates running for city council this election, though. After nearly adopting geographical district elections in 2022, and then backtracking at the last minute to stay with an at-large system, Brea has three at-large city council seats up this year. Seeking re-election are members of the Republican majority: Cecilia Hupp, Steven Vargas, and Blair Stewart—they all have the backing of the OC GOP, other OC right-wing electeds, and the police. Challenging them are Andrew Herrera and Blake Perez. Herrera has no substantial platform, no organizational endorsements, and a very strange website making it hard to know what to expect from him or where he stands. Perez, who has been on both the arts and planning commissions, is endorsed by a sort of incoherent group: Sierra Club, the OC Business Council, and Cecilia Hupp (the incumbent Republican mayor who is also running)? We can’t make any recommendations here.
Buena Park
Best known for Knott’s Berry Farm, where there’s a massive union organizing drive right now, or if you’re in a union already you might recognize the big UFCW 324 union hall which hosts Buena Park is the most notable of OC’s Gateway Cities. A fairly solidly blue city, BP had three council seats up for election this cycle—but, after District 1 was uncontested, only Districts 2 and 5 remained. In District 2 incumbent Carlos Franco faces planning commissioner Yong Choi. Franco has most of the Dem and labor endorsements with the exception of UNITE HERE, the hotel workers’ union, who is backing Choi. The differences between the two seem minimal, and neither seem particularly progressive, so we are issuing no recommendation. The open seat in District 5 is a little more interesting, with Climate Action Commissioner Brandon Schooner facing off against Cultural Engagement Commissioner Sharena Walker. Walker has no platform to speak of with a largely blank website, save for a comments section in which she seems to indicate that she doesn’t support taking measures to keep ICE out of the city. Schooner, by comparison, has a packed platform—maybe too packed. Schooner, who has received Dem and labor endorsements and currently serves on both the BP Climate Action Commission and the OC Power Authority Community Advisory Committee, supports many policies that OC DSA members will appreciate: expanded environmental policy and public services. That said, he also seems to support expanded funding for BPPD and doesn’t list a plan for protecting the city’s immigrant population from ICE. In the city’s political context, we can’t affirmatively recommend him: no recommendation.
Costa Mesa
Sandwiched between the liberal bastion of Irvine, the lefty outpost of Santa Ana, and the far right wealth of Newport and Huntington Beaches—Costa Mesa is maybe a likely place for political conflict in OC. This cycle the Mayor and three council seats (3, 4, and 5) are up for grabs. The city, in addition facing a lawsuit from the state for not meeting its housing buildout mandate, has been rocked by a wave of different issues which DSA members care about: from labor struggle at Mother’s Market’s flagship store, to packed City Council meetings where residents demanded their electeds end contracts with Flock (council voted 6–1 to maintain the contract).
Running for Mayor are Operating Engineers’ union trainer and current D2 council member Loren Gameros and D1 council member Mike Buley. While both council members voted to retain contracts with Flock, Gameros is a union member who has spoken about his concern about ICE raids in the city (despite planning to further supplement CMPD resources). Buley, on the other hand, is a Republican endorsed by a swath of current OCGOP old guard banner holders—Assemblymember Diane Dixon, Sheriff Don Barnes, etc. While we don’t have an affirmative recommendation here as Gameros hasn’t earned it, don’t vote for Buley.
All three council races are playing a similar dynamic: conservative man, progressive woman. In District 3 this is least pronounced, with Democrat Cara Stewart facing Republican Daniel Morgan. Both candidates are fairly vague on platform, but Stewart has been out with Mother’s Market workers on their picket line—which is a good sign for where her priorities lie. No recommendation here since Stewart’s actual platform is vague at best. In District 4 progressive planning commissioner Angely Andrade Vallarta faces nonpartisan arts commissioner Fisher Derderian. While Derderian seems largely inoffensive, Vallarta is endorsed by a wide coalition of labor, the Working Families Party, as well as current progressive council member D5 Arlis Reynolds (who is termed out). Vallarta opposes Flock contracts, stands with Costa Mesa workers, and will fight back against ICE—we recommend voting for Angely Andrade Vallarta. In District 5, being vacated by sole Flock dissenter Arlis Reynolds, are progressive parks commissioner Kelly Brown and Republican animal services commissioner Steve Smith. Brown is similarly running because of ICE raids in the city, has stood with workers and immigrants in the city, and has made park equity in renter-heavy areas a priority: earning WFP and significant labor backing. We recommend voting for Kelly Brown.
The last thing on Costa Mesans’ ballots is Measure C, a proposed modernization of the city;s tax code for businesses—which has been capped at $200 annually for any businesses (including big corporations and chains) since 1985. This measure would raise sorely needed funds for the city by making sure big businesses pay their fair share: we recommend voting Yes on Measure C.
| City Council District 4 | City Council District 5 | Measure C |
| Recommended: Angely Andrade Vallarta | Recommended: Kelly Brown | Recommended: YES |
Cypress
One of OC’s small gateway cities, Cypress is fairly safe for Dems at higher levels. Like so many of the county’s gateway cities, nonpartisan elections and an aging former-Republican electorate lead to more conservative councils. This cycle, Districts 1, 2, and 5 are up for election. In District 1, incumbent Dem David Burke faces Republican former mayor Anne Hertz Mallari. Burke is a moderate with the support of the cops, DPOC, and labor, Mallari has the OC GOP. Burke doesn’t need our help: no recommendation. It’s a similar story in District 2, where moderate Dem Helen Le seeks to unseat right wing incumbent Bonnie Peat. Le has the county’s major establishment Dem endorsements, and Peat is backed by cops and OC GOP’s cadre—Le’s platform is moderate as it comes and doesn’t warrant a recommendation. District 5, incumbent moderate Dem Rachel Strong Carnahan faces right-wing challenger firefighter Randy Harper, who is backed by the OC GOP. Carnahan has the backing of labor and the establishment and doesn’t need our recommendation.
Fountain Valley
Fountain Valley is one of the small, lesser-known central OC cities—located between Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, and Westminster. With only around 50,000 residents, FV has an at-large council, and three out of five seats are up for election this year. For those seats there are three right-wingers running (Kim Constantine, Jim Cunneen, and Dan Hay) and one moderate Democrat, Elizabeth Andrade, who wears her FV Police Officers’ Association endorsement like a badge of honor (it’s baked the header image on her campaign site). No recommendations.
Fullerton
This cycle, mid-sized north OC city Fullerton, home to one of the biggest CSU campuses in the state (and Titan YDSA), has two city council seats up for grabs this cycle: District 3 on the east side and District 5 along the 5 border with Anaheim. Fullerton has faced significant financial woes over the past several years which have led to a reduction in services—cutting library funding by $400k earlier this year. In D3, incumbent councilmember and professor Dr. Shana Charles is facing a challenge in nearly-recalled mayor (and failed 2026 Lincoln Club candidate for OC Supervisor) Fred Jung’s Parks Commissioner Daniel Kim. Charles recently supported the pause on use of Flock cameras in Fullerton and has been a reliably progressive voice on council alongside D5 councilmember Ahmad Zahra. Zahra, the most progressive councilmember, is vacating his D5 seat this cycle—and his chosen successor is Jozef Maldonado. Maldonado, a current Parks commissioner, faces two opponents to his right: Oscar Valadez and David Fischbein. Valadez sued the county registrar over Maldonado calling himself a Parks commissioner in his ballot designation, and has no endorsements to speak of. Fischbein also has no endorsements and is running on funding police to round up unhoused people. Maldonado and Charles both have cleaned up the more progressive and labor (suspiciously, including police) endorsements, their opponents’ backers if they have any are less clear. Between these choices, we recommend voting for Dr. Shana Charles in D3 and Jozef Maldonado in D5.
| District 3 | District 5 |
| Recommended: Dr. Shana Charles | Recommended: Jozef Maldonado |
Garden Grove
Garden Grove, one of two cities (with Westminster) comprising the heart of OC’s (South) Vietnamese diaspora community, made national headlines earlier this year when a methyl methacrylate leak at GKN Aerospace led to a high-pressure potential explosion which had the potential to completely destroy parts of the city. This has led to a high profile campaign from the left—of which OC DSA is a part—to get GKN out of GG. The other big dynamic in the city is the staunch anti-communism (inclusive of all strains of left-wing perspectives) of the South Vietnamese diaspora. Issues like banning the Vietnamese and Chinese Communist Parties from city property are big drivers of discourse in the city (as well as in Westminster). The Mayorship, as well as Districts 1, 3, and 4 are up for election this cycle.
The mayor’s race is a (kind of) rematch of 2022 between incumbent mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein and former councilmember (and scientist) Thu-Ha Nguyen. Klopfenstein is a Republican who is backed not just by the GG Police Officers Association, but also by their counterparts from Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Tustin—needless to say she’s an extreme cop candidate. Nguyen on the other hand is backed by half of GG’s sitting council members. Her platform is pretty bare bones, but is generally progressive: affordable housing, parks, jobs, etc. Both candidates apparently want more restrictions on GKN, but neither seems to have a real plan for accountability. Klopfenstein is extremely odious, but there’s not enough here for us to affirmatively recommend Nguyen. Last election the race was between seven candidates and Nguyen only lost by 2%; this time, in a head to head, it seems like she’ll win. No recommendation.
There’s a three-way race unfolding in District 1 between Long Nguyen, Roger Flanders, and William Zylla. Nguyen has no website and no interviews available talking about his platform, but is endorsed by the OC Democratic Party. Flanders on the contrary is a 30-year police officer who is endorsed by a handful of Republicans, an easy no for DSA members. Zylla has a range of platitudes on his site, but not much in the way of real policy. No recommendation (but definitely don’t vote for Flanders).
Another three-person race is underway in District 3, where seemingly-independent incumbent Cindy Ngoc Tran is up against two challengers: from the Dem side, Amanda Nguyen and another no party preference-styled candidate Thomas Quoc Thai Nguyen. Both Tran and Thai Nguyen have very little in the way of platforms, and no endorsements listed anywhere easy to find, so it’s hard to really know what their policy positions are. Amanda Nguyen is endorsed by the DPOC, OC Labor Fed, and OCEA (the GG city staff union)—she’s running on an “affordability” or deliverist platform, but ultimately she seems fairly moderate. She doesn’t need our endorsement.
The most crowded race in the city this go-around is in District 4, where incumbent Joe DoVinh, Patrick Phat Bui, Amanda Mohr, and Hieu Nguyen are all vying for the seat. DoVinh has been at the center of a truly bizarre controversy over the last couple years because in 2025 he claimed to have established “A Constitutional Monarchy, with the line of succession of King Van Hue[…]where all people are enthroned in the Great Vietnamese Family to bring about a new Golden Age” of which “he views himself as a sort of interim ‘king’ or ’emperor’ until one of the surviving members of the Vietnamese royal dynastic lineages – some live in Southern California, for instance – steps in to take their ‘rightful’ place on the throne.” He also expressed dissatisfaction with No Kings protests, saying that they couldn’t “speak for the 8.15 billion people on Planet Earth” on the issue of monarchy. He’s also obsessed with Garden Grove being larger than its neighbor Westminster, which is a fact but one which he inflates far beyond reality—he’s a strange guy. (Oh, and he also apparently said he would fire the police chief if GGPD didn’t comply with ICE.) Somehow more normal, Bui is a garden variety OC GOP candidate who is backed by Klopfenstein, the OC GOP cadre, and the Huntington Beach Police Officers Association (you read that right, not the GGPOA). Mohr has no presence online at all and no endorsements—nothing to see here. There is an exciting candidate in this race though, Hieu Nguyen. Nguyen is running on a progressive platform of improving access to city services and expanding affordable housing in GG. He’s endorsed by WFP, labor, and a range of progressive community orgs. Even not considering who he’d be replacing, Nguyen would be a huge step up for District 4. We recommend Hieu Nguyen for District 4.
The final big fight in Garden Grove lands in GG Unified School District Board Area 4 (which also covers much of Westminster, west Santa Ana, and Fountain Valley), in which three candidates are running: John Giang Nguyen, Quan Vuong, and Tracy La. Both Nguyen and Vuong have very sparse web presences which really focus on parents’ involvement in education. La, the executive director at VietRISE, is backed by both the GGUSD teachers’ and staff unions, as well as other unions and progressive politicians. She found herself in hot water at the end of the summer when anticommunist community leaders in Garden Grove wrote to the DPOC taking issue with VietRISE’s support for the Viet Minh’s declaration of independence of Vietnam from French colonial control in 1945 and calling the day marking the end of the Vietnam War as “Reunification Day” rather than “Black April.” This letter ultimately resulted in La unendorsed by the DPOC. Without wading too far into the politics, La is clearly the better choice from the options and is supported by teachers and staff at GGUSD. We recommend Tracy La for GGUSD Area 4.
| District 4 | GGUSD Area 4 |
| Recommended: Hieu Nguyen | Recommended: Tracy La |
Huntington Beach
One of the more interesting stories in the county this cycle is happening in the brash poster child of Orange County’s conservatism: Huntington Beach. Known for its beachfront MAGA flags and sundown-town racism, HB has slowly been turning purple, missing Prop 50 by only around 5.5%. Despite this, the city’s government is a complete Republican lockup—still using all at-large districts in order to ensure that it can keep churning out politicians like extremist AD-72 hopeful Gracey van Der Mark, HB’s “Latina MAGA Mayor.” It doesn’t really matter who’s running because the HB GOP machine has turned the city into its own personal culture war fief, among many other things: banning the pride flag from public property and installing a “MAGA” plaque on the city’s library (an action which our recommendation for AD-72, Chris Kluwe, was arrested protesting). The current system is so rigged that the State of California sued the city for violating state civil rights law on charges of essentially the suppression of minoritized voters, an OC Superior Court judge even ruling that the city must adopt Ranked Choice Voting in future elections. Nevertheless, the local Dems are running a slate this cycle for the city’s four at-large seats (against seven opponents): Erin Spivey, Ben Davis, Brenda Glim, and Taryn Palumbo. The “Surf City Four,” hold an ideologically confusing mix of progressive and more moderate positions, but they’ve shown up for unionizing workers and have stood with the city’s queer community. If for no other reason than to tell the entrenched HB right-wing, we recommend voting for Erin Spivey, Ben Davis, Brenda Glim, and Taryn Palumbo for Huntington Beach City Council. (For those wondering, the far-right candidate for City Attorney won his race unopposed.)
| City Council At-Large (4 seats) |
| Recommended: Erin Spivey, Ben Davis, Brenda Glim, Taryn Palumbo |
Irvine
Despite its recent promotion to second largest city in Orange County (after Anaheim)—Irvine still has small, company town politics which are incoherent and disorganized. Irvine City Council spends a lot of time talking about its participation in the OC regional bodies (OCPA, OC Library System, OCFA, etc), the Great Park, and (increasingly) union politics—that’s to say: many big municipal issues for DSA members like Flock, public housing, and public transit are largely missing. The council can roughly be broken into three groups: Democrats Melinda Liu (D1), Betty Martinez-Franco (D5), and Kathleen Treseder (D6) as a “progressive” block; Democrats Larry Agran (Mayor) and William Go (D2) as swing votes; and Republicans Mike Carrol (D4) and James Mai (D3) as, well, Republicans. Many meetings of this council end up being misogynistic struggle sessions led by Agran and the Republicans against the women on council and Treseder in-particular.
The mayoral race finds long-lapsed DSA member (not a member since 2011) and seeming permanent officeholder Larry Agran likely cleaning up against right-wing challenger Maksim Egorov. Agran has made many fumbles in the last few years for DSA members, seemingly out of oppositional defiance: helped undercut hotel workers’ wages, opposed ranked choice voting, and more. That said he also was one of two votes in favor of a pro-Palestine ceasefire resolution in 2024, alongside former mayor Farrah Khan (a position he has now used to opportunistically elevate his chief of staff Scotty Hong as a challenger in District 6). Agran has been what one might describe as an Irvine nationalist, trying to pull Irvine out of countywide services at almost every juncture: successfully pulling the city out of the county library system last year, and attempting frequently to withdraw from OCPA and OCFA. Still, Egorov seems worse with a fully AI-generated website and explicitly right-wing positions. Unfortunately, lapsed DSA member Agran’s recent interest in business lobbies means he doesn’t earn our endorsement (no recommendation).
In District 1, Melinda Liu faces a Democratic challenger in Sukhee Kang and Republican opponent John Park. Liu is the least reliable of the “progressive” block on council, and is close with the hoteliers lobby, bringing their lobbyists to meetings and voting for the repeal of the housekeeper wage ordinance. Liu voted to water down the RCV ballot measure, but ultimately supported it. She also supported the grocery workers’ union’s ordinance to protect their workers’ jobs in the city. Just as of writing she’s supported removing protected bike lanes in her district. She has a mixed record to say the least. The hotel workers’ union and their allies are backing Sukhee Kang to unseat her for breaking her commitment to them. Kang, a former Irvine mayor and low-ranking Biden appointee, who is running on balancing the Irvine budget and not much else. Republican John Park throws a wrench in this plan and threatens to take advantage of the Dems splitting their vote. Basically, there are no good options here either (no recommendation).
District 5 is a packed race with a fitting five candidates. Incumbent Betty Martinez-Franco is the most reliable progressive vote on council, elected only last year to fill Agran’s old seat after he won the mayorship. She’s not the most outspoken member of the body, but she reliably votes in favor of pro-environment, pro-immigrant, and pro-worker policy. Against her are Republicans Steven Alves and Anthony Kuo, real estate agent Julie Glossbrenner, and moderate Democrat Byron Salvatierra. Among them, Martinez Franco is the best choice for DSA members—we recommend Betty Marinez-Franco in District 5.
Covering UC Irvine and Irvine Business Complex, District 6 is one of the youngest, highest educated, and furthest left districts in the county. Running are two Democrats: incumbent Kathleen Treseder and Agran chief of staff Scotty Hong. Treseder is an environmental scientist at UCI and classic “PEP” (Progressive Except for Palestine) politician: taking outrageous Zionist positions in 2024 during the UCI encampment, leaving inflammatory anti-Palestinian comments on Instagram, and walking away from the dais during comments from pro-ceasefire residents. She has since seemingly moderated, and she’s a solid vote for almost every other city issue, but her positions in 2024 (short of some kind of direct apology to Irvine residents) make her absolutely unacceptable for DSA to recommend. Her opponent, Hong, is running on Agran’s positions and is weaponizing Treseder’s failures on Palestine against her. It shouldn’t need saying though that “POP” (Progressive Only on Palestine) is also not a tenable position for recommendation (no recommendation).
The other Irvine issues on the ballot are Irvine Unified School District’s board and Measure D. Important to note that all of IUSD’s board members voted to cut their classified staff’s pensions by 3% earlier this year. Only two races for IUSD are contested: Areas 2 and 4. In Area 2, incumbent Democrat Katie McEwen is up against Republican MMA fighter Ron Scolesdang; but due to McEwen’s cuts to staff pensions we can’t recommend her (no recommendation). In Area 4, incumbent wannabe-education influencer Jeff Kim is facing teacher and school staff-backed opponent Jane Wood—in solidarity with school unions, we recommend voting for Jane Wood in Area 4. Last on the ballot, but not at all least, is Irvine Measure D which would expand Irvine democracy by transitioning the city to Ranked Choice Voting elections, making it the first in the county to adopt the system. Measure D is one of OC DSA’s four endorsements this cycle—alongside YDSA at UCI, we enthusiastically endorse YES on Measure D. 🌹
| District 5 | IUSD Area 4 | Measure D |
| Recommended: Betty Martinez-Franco | Recommended: Jane Wood | Endorsed: YES 🌹 |
La Habra
Write-up coming soon. No recommendations.
La Palma
Write-up coming soon. No recommendations.
Laguna Beach
Write-up coming soon.
| LBUSD Measure A | Measure E |
| Recommended: YES | Recommended: YES |
Laguna Hills
Write-up coming soon. No recommendations.
Laguna Woods
Write-up coming soon. No recommendations.
Lake Forest
Write-up coming soon.
| District 2 | District 4 | Measure F |
| Recommended: Becky Keene | Recommended: Amy Stevens | Recommended: NO |
Los Alamitos
Write-up coming soon.
| Measure G |
| Recommended: YES |
Mission Viejo
Mission Viejo’s tract of southern Orange County suburbia will have all five of its district seats up for election this November. This is a rare occurrence, and one that comes after city council members illegally extended their terms in 2022. This election will have staggered terms with Districts 1, 3 and 5 electing candidates to 4-year terms, Districts 2 and 4 electing candidates to 2-year terms, and all districts returning to standard 4-year terms in 2028. With all the seats up for election, three of which are guaranteed to have new council members, this election had the opportunity to bring in new blood and possibly much needed change to the city council. However, with a landscape of lackluster candidates and their attendant interchangeable conservative-leaning platforms—as well as District 5’s “Defense Acquisition Contractor” candidate running unopposed—the quality of this potential change is underwhelming.
In District 1 incumbent Bob Ruesch faces challenger writer Kristen Wilcox. Since the race is between Ruesch, who boasts about “fighting high density housing” (while taking money from the CA Real Estate PAC) and is “pro flock cameras”, and Wilcox who describes herself as a “fiscal conservative” who just wants “appropriate oversight” of FLOCK cameras in Mission Viejo (and who will most likely not win anyway) we have no recommendation.
District 2’s open seat race is between Saga Conroy, who currently works as Community Outreach Director for Republican Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner, and small business owner Peter Molinari. Conroy advertises that she lived under “oppressive communist rule,” and a main priority of her campaign is “fully funding” the law enforcement in Mission Viejo, despite the sheriff contract taking up a monstrous 43% of the city’s total adopted General Fund operating budget. Molinari is currently serving on the Mission Viejo Planning and Transportation Commission and has a basic fiscal conservative platform of supporting small businesses. Both candidates have raised similar amounts of campaign funds, and are not in any way aligned with our principles. No recommendation.
Competing for District 3’s open seat are incumbent Cynthia Vasquez and Bryan Zahn. Vasquez is a more progressive candidate who, despite also advocating for a “fully funded” law enforcement, advocates for Mission Viejo Pride and has received endorsements from the Orange County Labor Federation and the Orange County Employees Association. She also is against using “taxpayer funds to subsidize private, for-profit entities.” Zahn, a retired City of Mission Viejo Supervisor, has a basic platform of public safety (more money for cops, just like everyone else in Mission Viejo) and supporting small business owners. If navigating bourgeois elections in a time where neoliberal rot is leading to a rising fascist tide, we would prefer a lukewarm progressive candidate with labor endorsements. We recommend Cynthia Vasquez for District 3.
The open seat in District 4 will go to either Laura Lacko, who filed as a “Community Volunteer,” and James Morrison, who is a “Human Resources Professional.” Lacko has campaign contributions and endorsements from several democratic organizations and is running on a platform of responsible budgeting, infrastructure and (get this) public safety (cops). Morrison is running on a platform of fiscal responsibility, infrastructure and public safety (game changer, no notes, Picasso), with endorsement from fan favorite MAGA Congresswoman Young Kim. Yeah, no recommendation.
| District 3 |
| Recommended: Cynthia Vasquez |
Newport Beach
The old money home of Arrested Development, overpriced chocolate bananas, and the Starbucks CEO (among others)—Newport Beach is one of the most staunchly conservative cities in the county, voting for Trump in 2024 by margins only lower than Villa Park and Yorba Linda. From Balboa Peninsula to South Coast Plaza, it’s one of the ritziest parts of the state, not just the county. This year the election here is interesting for a range of reasons, but primarily because residents attempted to put three democracy reforms on the ballot (Measures P, Q, and R), which the conservative city council challenged, causing the measures to miss the deadline for submission to the OC Registrar of Voters. This has resulted in two simultaneous elections, one held by the county the other by the city for just these three ballot measures. The second election for measures P, Q, and R will be held only by mail, whereas the election for Districts 1, 3, 6, and Measure H (D4 was uncontested) will be held by mail and in-person. The measures are all backed by Southern California Opportunity Group, a NIMBY/housing developer fund which is seeking more control in the city. The other weird thing to remember about Newport Beach is that, even though each council member represents a geographical district—they are elected by the city at-large, so the council districts are more of an antidemocratic geographical mirage than a reality.
In District 1, far-right incumbent Joe Stapleton faces independent Tina Babajanians. Stapleton is backed by just about every Republican and aligned group in the county, and is basically assured to win. Babajanians has no endorsements to speak of and is running as essentially a pro-transparency NIMBY, aligning herself with the city’s local ballot measures. She seems almost like a campaign ad for the ballot measures more than a candidate herself. No recommendation.
Three Republican candidates are vying for the District 3 seat (with huge sums of money): incumbent Erik Weigand and challengers Tim Stoaks and Walter Stahr. Weigand is a Republican who has received the endorsement of NBPD and their allies. Stoaks is a perennial candidate for council and local “philanthropist” (as most wealthy Newport residents probably consider themselves) who is on the right-wing Voice of OC Board of Directors and has sought to limit growth of JWA (on top of the already draconian rules surrounding the airport on flights across Newport). Stahr appears to be trying to take the same NIMBY and transparency lane as Babajanians, and has raked in former elected officials’ endorsements. These candidates are all awful, no recommendation.
District 6 has the sole democrat running for council (remember, these seats are all elected at-large, even though they represent a geographical district): Andrew Gerken challenges incumbent Mayor Lauren Kleiman. Gerken has raised large amounts of money, but is going to have a hard time beating GOP and NBPOA backed Kleiman. For our purposes, Gerken is a conservative Democrat and Kleiman is far-right: that means no recommendation.
The real interesting stuff on the ballot(s) are the ballot measures. On the regular, general election ballot is Measure H, which would lower the density allowed and number of affordable housing units which have already been approved by the city to meet the State’s affordable housing mandate. Newport Beach badly needs more affordable housing, and limiting the amount able to be built—whether for “character” purposes or in order to have more consolidated control over development—is a step in the wrong direction in an already conservative city. We recommend NO on Measure H.
The three special election ballot measures P, Q, and R are intended to make Newport City Council more transparent and democratic (likely in an attempt to discipline them for approving the aforementioned affordable housing). Measure P would impose strict lifetime term limits of two terms on council members, meaning no councillor can hold a seat basically indefinitely (currently there are no limits as long a candidate takes a cycle off every two terms). Measure Q would implement actual district voting, limiting votes for city council candidates to the districts they are running to represent rather than the whole city. Measure R would create a transparency task force, require the recording of closed door council meetings, and require electeds to maintain public calendars of official activity. These are all fairly normal democratic reforms, many of which are already practiced by other cities. We recommend YES on Measures P, Q, and R.
| Measure H | Measure P | Measure Q | Measure R |
| Recommended: NO | Recommended: YES | Recommended: YES | Recommended: YES |
Orange
The county’s eponymous city—which somehow isn’t the seat—Orange is the county’s Americana Old Town, with all the attendant conservatism, at the confluence of north and central county. The city has found itself in a financial predicament over the past several years which has resulted in ballot initiatives, placed on the ballot by council, which are aimed at alleviating that stress (you may also have noticed the new parking meters on the Circle hoping to achieve the same outcome). This year’s ballot has the Mayoral race and District 1 on it (after D4 and D6 were uncontested), as well as local ballot measures: I, J, and K.
The mayoral race is at the top of the ticket, with conservative incumbent Dan Slater facing councilwoman Arianna Barrios. Slater has been at the front of the charge pushing for Old Town Orange’s redevelopment, arguing that in order to make the city financially solvent it needs to become more friendly to outside business—regulars to the area will have noticed an increase of big corporate chains displacing locals in the city’s more iconic buildings: Chipotle, Blaze Pizza, Starbucks, and the like. Barrios has been on the other side of this debate, arguing for a more measured consideration of possible responses to consultants’ warnings—one of these considerations on her part is austerity, rather than reconsidering excesses like police spending (comprising over ⅓ of the city’s FTE). Barrios has also been a staunch voice against ICE presence in Orange, whereas Slater has endorsed Republicans like Young Kim. If Slater is re-elected it’s bad news for Orange but, despite her commendable advocacy against ICE, Barrios’ pro-austerity approach means we can’t affirmatively recommend her. No recommendation.
Four candidates have filed seeking the open seat in District 1: AJ Ricci, Jonathan St. Clair, Ernie Glasgow, and Brandy Romero. Ricci, the vice-chair of the Traffic Commission, is the Republican candidate in the race, endorsed by all of Orange’s Republican councilmembers and the OC GOP’s cadre—he’s running on incorporating AI into city services and expanding surveillance in Orange. St. Clair is the non-endorsed seemingly right-wing candidate, replete with a platitudinous, vibecoded website. Glasgow has essentially no web presence or platform to speak of. By far the most visible candidate, the influencer behind the popular Instagram account “theresnoplacelikeorange,” Romero is filling the role of a nonpartisan centrist. She’s received the endorsement of both mayoral candidates, but doesn’t have any kind of policy proposals on her (very AI-heavy) website to address the pressing situations facing the city. No recommendation.
Also on the ballot are three measures for voters’ consideration: I, J, and K. The first, Measure I, is an additional temporary 1% sales tax modeled after Santa Ana’s aimed at generating money for the general fund. As socialists, we understand that taxes should be primarily levied against the wealthy, and sales taxes impact working people hardest. However, without this funding city services will be significantly diminished. Like DSA-LA said of LA’s similar Measure FD: “Another regressive sales tax might be necessary for crucial services. But it’s typical of the post-Prop-13 status quo to keep coming back to sales taxes instead of taking on the urgent class conflict we need to tax the rich.” No recommendation. The alternative, Measure J, is one of several Transient Occupancy Taxes (or “TOTs”)—taxes on rentals under 30 days (generally hotels and Short Term Rentals like AirBnBs)—proposed across the county this year intending to take advantage of the upcoming Olympic Games. This measure would increase the city’s existing TOT from 10% to 14% and, unlike a Sales Tax, raises funds without affecting everyday working class residents. We recommend YES on Measure J. The final question on the ballot is Measure K which would convert Orange from a general law city to a charter city, giving council more autonomy from some state laws. While this may seem good on its face to some because it will increase local autonomy—it will extend term limits, lengthen terms themselves, ban eminent domain for infrastructure, and insulate the city from many statewide changes which are to the left of the current city government. We recommend NO on Measure K.
| Measure J | Measure K |
| Recommended: YES | Recommended: NO |
Placentia
Write up coming soon.
| Measure L |
| Recommended: YES |
Rancho Santa Margarita
Write up coming soon. No recommendations.
San Clemente
2026 will be the first year San Clemente residents will be able to vote directly for a mayor and the first time city council members will be elected by geographical districts. San Clemente is often written-off as dominated by conservative politics, especially given that the city has a higher median age than other cities in CA. Despite this, the city is home to an increasing number of young families, with a slightly higher proportion of residents under 18 years of age than the rest of OC. There are a wide range of issues which consume politics in San Clemente. TCA (The Toll Roads agency) has been attempting to extend HWY 241 (which currently starts in Yorba Linda and ends in Coto de Caza) through Mission Viejo and linking up with the 5 in San Clemente. The pretense for this extension has been to alleviate traffic buildup at the junctions between the 5 and the 405, and between the 5 and the 73 by bypassing both. The proposed-extension is universally hated by San Clemente residents regardless of politics. TCA has historically lobbied the OC Board of Supervisors to attempt to push the extension through, and has largely failed to do so. The extension would run through protected environmental zones, some of which are located in the watersheds that recharge local aquifers and reservoirs. This issue was largely resolved as of 2020, but is still very important to SC residents and will likely come up in elections. SC is also, maybe predictably, a hotbed for culture-warring over its unhoused population. Most recently, the city council almost allocated funds for cops-for-hire to literally “push the homeless off” the beaches and public areas in the city. Like in other cities, anti-unhoused rhetoric is usually couched in the housing crisis, which is certainly a crisis in its own right. In 2016, San Clemente’s only emergency room closed, which upset many residents. The next nearest ERs are 20 minutes away. Some residents continue to organize around the issue. SC has invested huge sums of money in ongoing tourism, including beachside infrastructure like bike lanes and jogging trails. This infrastructure, as well as beaches and private residences, are increasingly at risk of destruction from ongoing cliffside and beach erosion—an issue the city hopes to begin to fix by passing Measure M. Sand replacement and other environmental stop-gap measures are often discussed and considered, but little action has been taken. There are also ongoing concerns among residents about the Prima Desecha Landfill, Sober-living facilities, and (of course) the San Onofre Power Plant. Up for election this cycle are the Mayorship, Council Districts 1 and 2, and a last-chance beach restoration tax ballot measure.
San Clemente’s current mayor, Rick Loeffler, was appointed after his predecessor resigned and is not running for reelection. As mentioned above, this cycle is the first direct election for mayor in the city’s history, in which there are three contenders: Kathy Ward, Victor Cabral, and Shane Hirschman. Kathy Ward has served on the city council multiple times and been appointed mayor for two terms, and is one of the top two contenders for mayor. She is loosely affiliated with the Republican party and conservative politics, but maintains an image that centers on non-partisanship and good-sense; a kind of neighborly persona. Her record in SC politics broadly supports that image, including working actively against the toll road extension and supporting beach revitalization and bike lanes. Her stance on unhoused resident policy is more mixed. Victor Cabral is likely Ward’s top competitor and has served on the city council for three years and briefly as special appointed mayor. He self-identifies as a “fiscal conservative,” supports local law enforcement openly, and can be described as a Republican operative with close ties to the OC GOP. He is vociferously anti-unhoused and supports radical local measures to bully unhoused residents. Shane Hirschman has far less funding than Cabral or Ward, but is running in the progressive lane. His platform includes investment in local infrastructure and local initiatives to support unhoused residents, rather than forcibly evict them from the city. Hirschman is also the most clearly anti-surveillance of the three candidates, a position that became much more important to local residents when the city government approved an agreement with US Border Patrol to install a surveillance camera at North Beach. We recommend voting for Shane Hirschman for San Clemente Mayor.
In the open seat of newly created District 1, just north of the 5 (bordering the landfill), there are three candidates vying for the inaugural council position: Donna Vidrine, Steve Camp, and Aaron Washington. Vidrine has the support of local Democratic-aligned organizations like SouthOC4Democracy. Her platform is to set an agenda that will help the city develop more infrastructure and protection from wildfires and prioritizing young families. Camp is endorsed by the OC GOP and Reform California, and foregrounds “public safety.” Washington is an outlier without any endorsements, running on a platform that focuses on the city budget and cutting spending. Camp and Washington are clear non-starters, but Vidrine also doesn’t have much of a policy platform which we can affirmatively support. No recommendation.
The new, inland District 2 places city council incumbents Mark Enmeier and Steve Knoblock in a head-to-head election for the same seat (just like in the new CA-40). This was likely an intentional gerrymander at the direction of Councilmembers Cabral and Knoblock and current mayor Rick Loeffler, whom Enmeier often votes against. Knoblock is highly conservative, running on a Trumped-up culture war anti-drug and human trafficking platform. Enmeier is a well-liked history teacher at SC High School and is fittingly endorsed by labor. His platform is to support local infrastructure and transportation, and to fight against surveillance. His campaign emphasizes “local issues” in contrast to Knoblock’s MAGA talking points. We recommend voting for Mark Enmeier for District 2.
The last thing on San Clemente ballots is Measure M, which proposes a 1% sales and use tax in the city for a period of ten years and placing 50% of the tax into a beach restoration and protection fund, and the other 50% in a fire protection and emergency preparedness fund. Both are very needed in San Clemente. Ongoing beach erosion threatens SC’s tourism, a key part of the city’s local economy. It also threatens local infrastructure and property values. Because of SC’s unique position at the southernmost edge of the county, the 5 is the only route in and out of the city. For decades, this has prompted genuine concern about the ability to safely evacuate the city in the case of a wildfire or similar emergency. The city’s proximity to US military bases and San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (which is in the ongoing process of decommission) has helped mitigate wildfire risk to some extent, but SC is largely unprepared for the rapidly increasing danger of wildfire in CA. Historically, TCA has used this fact to make the case for the toll road extension. The emergency fund proposed by Measure M is especially important to help prevent ongoing attempts by TCA to build the extension through SC under the rhetoric of emergency preparedness. City council has attempted to pass similar measures in the past: 2024’s Measure BB specifically, as well as several TOT Hotel tax increases which would have helped fund city projects. Usually we make no recommendations on Sales Tax measures, however given the extreme precarity of San Clemente’s beaches and the encroachment of TCA after decades of neglect we recommend voting YES on Measure M.
| Mayor | District 2 | Measure M |
| Recommended: Shane Hirschman | Recommended: Mark Enmeier | Recommended: YES |
San Juan Capistrano
After both Districts 3 and 4 went uncontested, only one City Council race remains this cycle in South County’s scenic San Juan Capistrano. In District 2, self-styled cowboy incumbent Republican Jeff Moore faces a questionably serious challenge from businesswoman Erin Beyer. Both tout an “equestrian” lifestyle, but only Moore has the endorsement of the OC GOP. Beyer has no endorsements outside of several SJC councilmembers, and one of the (very) few items on her “platform” is rebuilding a relationship between the city and CalTrans, which would be good—but it’s hard to find much more about her as a candidate. No recommendation.
Santa Ana
Santa Ana, the county seat, sometimes feels like it’s the only place where politics really happens in Orange County. Compared to the company towns of Anaheim and Irvine, it’s almost refreshing for there to be a site of political contestation in OC where there feels like real potential for a working class political vision to be realized. Of course, this potential doesn’t come without its barriers—the Santa Ana establishment Democratic machine, largely built by Israel lobby beneficiary congressman Lou Correa and funded by the Santa Ana Police Officers’ Association, have drawn many of the county’s largest would-be progressive allies (labor in-particular) into its orbit. Correa’s line of succession is clear: crypto-backed Avelino Valencia from AD-68 to SD-34, employer-side regulatory compliance officer David Penaloza (“Penaloser” in local activist spaces) from Santa Ana City Council to AD-68 (versus WFP cadre Jessie Lopez, for whom we recommend you vote), and…well, you can read the rest of the write-up to see where the other chips fall. Ultimately this conserva-Dem pipeline is more of an aberration from the direction that many of the rest of the county’s more exciting races are moving—while progressives competitively run against right-wingers in South County and west of the 405, in Santa Ana the right-wing of the Democratic party clings to power. Against them has coalesced a coalition of progressive elements in the city: the Santa Ana Educators Association, SEIU 721 city workers, Working Families Party, Chispa (a prominent police accountability and community advocacy nonprofit), the Orange County Rapid Response Network, and Orange County DSA. Led at the front by Assembly candidate Lopez, as well as extremely popular OC Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento—this cycle the future of OC’s Latino working class capital hangs in the balance, which is why OC DSA has endorsed candidates in every council race and is knocking thousands of doors across the city for them. Up for grabs are council seats for districts 2, 4, and 6, as well as the Mayorship, a temporary Sales Tax ballot measure, and SAUSD Trustee areas 4 and 5.
Before the council seats on the ballot, though, is the Mayoral race. Incumbent moderate Dem Valerie Amezcua has earned a bad reputation among the Santa Ana left across her tenure for a range or reasons: in 2023 she opposed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, she also has faced allegations of creating a hostile workplace, allegations of Brown Act violations, allegations of being controlled by the Police Union. While these allegations were cleared for lack of evidence or settled, they nevertheless have served as prelude to the widespread backlash Amezcua faced during protests against ICE raids in Santa Ana and SAPD’s response. Amezcua has been supported by the SAPOA’s Independent Expenditure committee as part of their endorsed slate in the city, and is endorsed by the SAPOA itself and OC Sheriffs. Her two opponents are Dwayne Shipp and Dan Shimell. Shipp, a current Community Development commissioner, has basically no platform — but, hey, he confirmed he owns Bitcoin and Etherium. Shimell, a newcomer to Santa Ana politics and one of the attorneys who fought against LA’s discriminatory “no vending zones,” is running on expanding affordable housing, keeping immigration enforcement out of Santa Ana, and expanding city services. He’s been campaigning alongside DSA’s endorsed candidates and has the endorsements of the Santa Ana teachers’ union, Chispa, councilmembers Vazquez (see below) and Lopez, and other progressive voices in the city. He’s a relatively unknown quantity but, against Amezcua, we recommend voting for Dan Shimell for Santa Ana Mayor.
The first of our council endorsements is in Ward 2. DSA-endorsed, popular incumbent Benjamin Vazquez faces SAPOA-backed realtor Selica Diaz. An ally of Amezcua, and her appointee to the Parks Commission, Diaz has been the beneficiary of tens of thousands of dollars in spending by the SAPOA either for her or against Vazquez and was a registered Republican until after the 2024 election. Vazquez in his time on council has fought for state auditing of the SAPOA which has made him one of their top enemies. He has supported rent control, vacancy taxes, banning data centers, enforcement of just-cause eviction, abolishing ICE, banning ALPRs, and has called the genocide in Gaza a genocide. A teacher in SAUSD as his day job, Vazquez is also one of the vice presidents of his union SAEA—helping to recently sweep their internal election as part of a progressive reform slate. The choice here couldn’t be clearer: Orange County DSA is proud to endorse Benjamin Vazquez for re-election in Santa Ana Ward 2. 🌹
In Ward 4, our endorsee Sandra De Anda is taking on 7-year incumbent Phil Bacerra. Bacerra, the incumbent, faced accusations of domestic violence by his former girlfriend in 2018 which resulted in his disendorsement by the OC Democratic Party. He’s also supported expensive raises in SAPD contracts and opposed rent control (he’s also backed by the California Apartment Association). Bacerra has seen tens of thousands of dollars spent by the SAPOA’s Independent Expenditure committee to support him in his race against De Anda. By comparison, De Anda is one of the directors of the Orange County Rapid Response Network who have been on the front lines of protecting residents against ICE in Santa Ana and across the county, frequently collaborating with OC DSA’s own Immigration Justice Committee. On city council she will be a champion for immigrants, workers, and renters across the city and has earned the endorsements of SEIU 721 city workers, SAEA teachers, UNITE HERE hotel workers, and Working Families Party. Orange County DSA is proud to endorse Sandra De Anda in Santa Ana Ward 4. 🌹
The seat in Ward 6 is open as David Penaloza tries to move up the ranks of the political machine and cinch AD-68. Vying to fill that hole are two candidates, Giovanni Chavez and Isuri S. Ramos. Chavez is the former president of the California Young Democrats, moving into the district only about a year ago. He has almost all the establishment endorsements, starting his campaign almost as soon as he moved to the ward—some from far outside Santa Ana (why the director of BART, for example, should weigh in on Santa Ana politics is unclear). Like his colleagues on the SAPOA slate, he has been the beneficiary of thousands of dollars from cops in his campaign (so much so that, as of writing, he has listed the SAPOA on his endorsement list twice). Ramos, the Executive Director of Chispa and current chair of the Santa Ana Planning Commission has been a steadfast ally of immigrants, tenants, and workers across the city in her tenure. A lifelong Santa Ana resident, she grew up on Minnie Street and has helped build multiple parks across the city across her time as a community leader, including Mariposa Park in Ward 6 itself (which she has been living in and serving for over 10 years). She has stood with and earned the endorsements of SAEA teachers, SEIU 721 city workers, Working Families Party, and the majority of Santa Ana’s commissioners. Orange County DSA is proud to endorse Isuri S. Ramos in Santa Ana Ward 6. 🌹
Two seats on Santa Ana Unified School District’s Board of Trustees are also up for election this cycle, SAUSD Areas 4 and 5. In both, progressive incumbents supported by SAEA teachers are being challenged by right-wing candidates. In Area 4 teacher-and-staff-backed candidate Katelyn Brazer Aceves faces right-wing “Reform California” candidate Sylvia Iglesias. In Area 5, teacher-and-staff-backed Hector Bustos faces Alejandra Rodriguez, who has received charter school money and supports book bans. Backed by teachers, school staff, labor, and progressive groups, we recommend voting to re-elect Katelyn Brazer Aceves in SAUSD Area 4 and Hector Bustos in Area 5.
The final issue on the ballot in Santa Ana is Measure N, a ballot initiative which would retain Santa Ana’s current 1.5% sales tax. This tax brings in around $84 million annually and currently funds much of the city’s essential services. While, as socialists, we understand that taxes should be primarily levied against the wealthy, and sales taxes impact working people hardest—without this critical funding, much of any democratic socialist or progressive city council’s agenda to solve the underlying problems would be hamstrung (and, regardless of council outcome, all city services will be significantly diminished). Like DSA-LA said of LA’s similar Measure FD: “Another regressive sales tax might be necessary for crucial services. But it’s typical of the post-Prop-13 status quo to keep coming back to sales taxes instead of taking on the urgent class conflict we need to tax the rich.” No recommendation.
| Mayor | Ward 2 | Ward 4 |
| Recommended: Dan Shimell | Endorsed: Benjamin Vazquez 🌹 | Endorsed: Sandra De Anda 🌹 |
| Ward 6 | SAUSD Area 4 | SAUSD Area 5 |
| Endorsed: Isuri S. Ramos 🌹 | Recommended: Katelyn Brazer Aceves | Recommended: Hector Bustos |
Seal Beach
Write up coming soon. No recommendations.
Stanton
Write up coming soon. No recommendations.
Tustin
While Tustin is a fairly reliable city for the Dems at this point, it maintains a reputation for being more conservative in its city politics—with a majority Republican city council. One of the smaller cities in central OC, Tustin can sometimes feel like an afterthought to Irvine, its much larger neighbor to the south—while it has been the site of high profile development around the old hangar sites, but despite this Tustin has seen population decline over the last decade. Building affordable housing which retains residents is probably the major issue facing the city. This cycle the Mayoral and District 3 council seats are up for election.
In the Mayoral race, Republican incumbent and former cop Austin Lumbard faces former Mayor Letita Clark. Lumbard is backed by police, Tustin and Irvine’s Republican council members, and what remains of the OC GOP’s high-profile officeholders. Riding high off of managing the Tustin hangar fire three years ago, he also takes credit for bringing right-wing defense contractors like Anduril, as well as speculatively-funded aerospace and tech campuses to the city’s Legacy district. Clark, endorsed across the board by labor and Dem aligned groups, is running on restoring the city’s workforce affordable housing program and to support immigrant residents facing potential attacks from ICE—something which Lumbard called “a Santa Ana issue.” We recommend Letita Clark for Tustin Mayor.
In council District 3, Republican-backed Ray Schnell seeks re-election against newcomer TJ Reed. Schnell has the support of the police and of many of Lumbard’s same backers (Young Kim, Don Barnes, etc.)—he’s running on “attainable housing” (notably not “affordable”) and his record of supporting giving more toys to the police. He’s an easy no from us. His opponent, TJ Reed, is an assistant professor at CSU Long Beach in American Indian Studies, but his online presence digests more in the vein of “business influencer” than university professor. Reed has no endorsements (not even that of his union, the California Faculty Association), little in the way of a platform, and it’s not even clear if he’s raised any money. Definitely don’t vote for Schnell, but there’s not enough information to recommend Reed either. No recommendation.
| Mayor |
| Recommended: Letitia Clark |
Westminster
Write up coming soon.
| WSD Measure B | Measure O |
| Recommended: YES | Recommended: YES |
Yorba Linda
Home of the Nixon Presidential Library: Yorba Linda. One of the last, furthest right enclaves in Orange County—Yorba Linda is nearly majority-Republican, by registered voters. Fittingly the five candidates running for the two open city council seats this election are all different brands of right-wing, maybe with the exception of Robert Prease who is running a seemingly moderate independent campaign. There are no choices here worth affirmatively recommending, apologies if you are one of the eight DSA members in the city. No recommendations.
Other Races
Moulton Niguel Water District Board of Directors
An accomplished mechanical engineer and project manager, Jennifer Engle brings the technical vision needed to diversify Moulton Niguel Water District’s water supply mix, backed by deep roots in local grassroots campaigning and endorsements from labor, clubs and candidates across her district. Engle has particular support from Lavender Democrats, her political home. Engle would make history as the first transgender woman elected to office in Orange County. MNWD is also embroiled in controversy and a threat to its future. Staff have accused incumbent Bill Moorhead of abuse, and even forced a resolution at Board meeting that current board members refused to take up. Not only perpetuating abuse, this refusal also threatens the talent pool that has kept MNWD effective. Engle offers the principled, advocacy-driven leadership required to restore workplace accountability at MNWD. Her engineering expertise, tireless work ethic, and unwavering commitment to community rights makes her the clear choice for DSA members: to protect district staff and our water future. We recommend Jennifer Engle for Moulton Niguel Water Board.
| Moulton Niguel Water Board |
| Recommended: Jennifer Engle |