While Santa Ana’s tight race for mayor is drawing attention, Orange County’s other closest races are in neighboring cities — Tustin’s race for mayor and Irvine’s District 1 competition.
Friday’s 5 p.m. election count update from the Orange County Registrar of Voters showed both these races remain tight as mail-in ballots continue to be counted.
In Tustin, latest election results showed former Mayor Letitia Clark was narrowly leading over incumbent Austin Lumbard.
Over 18,000 ballots have been counted so far
Over 18,000 ballots have been counted so far in that race — Clark was leading with about 50.6% of the vote, while Lumbard had about 49.4% of the vote. There’s a gap of 221 votes between the two.
Lumbard is endorsed by the head of the OC Sheriff’s Department Don Barnes, the Tustin Police Officers Association and the Orange County Professional Firefighters, according to his campaign website.
Clark served on the city council from 2016 to 2024, including as mayor in 2021. According to her campaign website, her endorsements include the Democratic Party of Orange County, the California Democratic Party and the OC Labor Federation.
The close race comes shortly after leaders recently
The close race comes shortly after leaders recently approved an agreement that gives Tustin police officers access to certain cameras in local schools.
The agreement between the Tustin Police Department and Tustin Unified School District is meant to improve emergency response times, but it comes amid growing concerns across the county and the nation regarding surveillance cameras and technology like automated license plate readers.
The police department is set to get access to camera feeds in schools by the end of the year.
Irvine’s District 1 Incumbent Clinging Onto Seat
In Irvine, incumbent Melinda Liu was narrowly holding
In Irvine, incumbent Melinda Liu was narrowly holding onto her lead with about 39.7% of the vote, while OC Food Bank Board Member John Park was trailing with about 38.5% of the vote. There’s a gap of 142 votes between the two.
Liu has been endorsed by the Democratic Party of Orange County, the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association, the Irvine Police Association and Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, according to her campaign website.
Park, who unsuccessfully ran for city council multiple times in the past, has been endorsed by the Republican Party of Orange County and the Orange County Business Council’s Political Action Committee, according to his campaign website.
Former City Councilmember and Mayor Sukhee Kang remained
Former City Councilmember and Mayor Sukhee Kang remained in third place with about 21.8% of the vote for the District 1 race. Over 11,000 ballots have been counted so far.
It comes as Irvine leaders continue to grapple with a rocky budget and possible structural deficit that could reach $37 million in less than two years if spending doesn’t slow down.
Staff members are rolling out a plan that looks to decrease spending by $27 million and increase revenue by $10 million in order to dodge the financial crisis. They plan to accomplish this by eliminating vacant positions, increasing a slew of fees and canceling certain city-sponsored events.
The city is also poised to roll out
The city is also poised to roll out a new voting system starting in 2028 after the city’s ballot initiate — known as Measure D — is on track to pass with about 52.3% “yes” votes, as of Friday’s 5 p.m. election count update.
Irvine currently uses a plurality voting system for its district elections, meaning residents currently can only vote for one city council candidate who is running in the district they live in.
In a plurality voting system, the candidate who garners the most votes wins outright.
In a ranked choice voting system, voters get to rank candidates in order of preference.
That means if three candidates are running
That means if three candidates are running for a single council district, then voters who live in that district get to rank all three in order of who they would like to see take office the most.
For more information about how ranked choice voting works, clickhere.
Transitioning to ranked choice voting could quadruple election costs in Irvine, according to preliminary estimates for rolling out the new system and educating voters.
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