The Orange County 2026 Primary Election is coming on June 2. The ballots have already been mailed out so you may already be in the process of voting.
Here is our rundown of every contest on the ballot, with our recommendations:
Orange County Primary Election Races
Let’s have a look at the Orange County races first:
Orange County Assessor
The incumbent is Claude Parrish. He has served as the Orange County Assessor for over 11 years. a 2023 county-commissioned report—revealed by LAist in early 2025—found that Parrish had violated county policies regarding gender discrimination and harassment.
According to the investigation, he:
- Harassed a subordinate over her medical disability, dismissively calling it a “tummy ache” and pressuring her to stop prescribed medication in favor of drinking baking soda and tap water.
- Retaliated against the employee by transferring her after she took medically necessary leave.
- Discriminated based on gender by consistently addressing male executives as “Mr.” while referring to female employees only by their first names.
He has faced other serious allegations:Wrongful Termination Lawsuit: In 2016, former employees sued him, alleging they were fired for reporting illegal acts, including claims that Parrish falsified payroll reports and was often “unfit for office” or “confused” during work hours.”Rent Tax” Controversy: In 2024, he faced public criticism from local leaders and the Orange County Register for a proposed “possessory interest tax” that critics argued would unfairly raise costs for middle-class renters
He has also faced other serious allegations:
- “Rent Tax” Controversy: In 2024, he faced public criticism from local leaders and the Orange County Register for a proposed “possessory interest tax” that critics argued would unfairly raise costs for middle-class renters
- Wrongful Termination Lawsuit: In 2016, former employees sued him, alleging they were fired for reporting illegal acts, including claims that Parrish falsified payroll reports and was often “unfit for office” or “confused” during work hours.
These documented investigations have created significant friction with other Orange County officials.
Given Parrish’s past boorish behavior we endorse his opponent, Janet Keo Conklin (Nonpartisan)
Orange County Auditor-Controller
The incumbent, Andrew N. Hamilton (Nonpartisan), is the only candidate, so he has effectively already won reelection.
Orange County Clerk-Recorder
The incumbent, Hugh Nguyen (Nonpartisan), has done an amazing job. He definitely deserves to be reelected. The opponent, Maria Holly Barraza (Nonpartisan), is a records data specialist at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. She has no experience with the Clerk-Recorder’s office. Between 2007 and 2017, she served as a nutrition assistant and lactation educator for California’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program.
Orange County Superintendent of Schools
The incumbent, Stefan Bean (Nonpartisan), was unanimously appointed to the role in June 2024 by the Orange County Board of Education to complete the term of retiring predecessor Al Mijares. He has no opponent in the Primary Election so he will be automatically reelected.
Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector
The incumbent, Shari Freidenrich (Nonpartisan), has been in office since 2010. She is responsible for collecting over $10 billion in property taxes annually and safeguarding public funds. Before her county role, she served as the elected City Treasurer for Huntington Beach (1996–2010) and worked in the private sector for Deloitte & Touche and McDonnell Douglas. In late 2024, the Orange County Board of Supervisors stripped her of her authority to manage the county’s $17 billion investment pool, transferring that power to the county CEO. This move followed an independent investigation that found Freidenrich violated workplace violence policies, including an incident where she allegedly threw keys at a subordinate.
Her former top deputy, Dana Schultz, is running against her in the 2026 primary after Freidenrich reportedly attempted to fire her shortly after Schultz filed to run.
Schulz has our endorsement given Freidenrich’s poor behavior.
Orange County Supervisor, 2nd District
The incumbent, 2nd District Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, is being challenged by former Santa Ana Councilmember Nelida Mendoza, commercial decorator James Wallace and business owner Kimberly Davis.
Sarmiento is well known for being pro-criminal and anti police. He also voted to give himself and the other Supervisors a whopping 25% raise. Here are just a few of his sordid past actions and positions:
- Rejection of Proposition 20: Critics frequently point to his 2020 decision as a Santa Ana council member to decline support for a resolution endorsing Proposition 20. The ballot measure sought to restrict the early release of certain inmates and upgrade punishments for repeated theft crimes. Sarmiento argued the measure would unfairly and disproportionately target minority communities.
- Opposed Homeless Encampment Penalties: Opponents criticized his county vote against a policy that would arrest or fine unhoused individuals caught camping on county property. Detractors argued his vote excused unlawful public camping. Sarmiento defended his vote by stating the policy departed from shelter-first efforts and would disproportionately push transients released from the Orange County Jail directly into Santa Ana resources.
- Called Police Officers Murderers – When longtime criminal Brandon Lopez was fatally shot by Anaheim police officers, after a high speed police pursuit that ended in Santa Ana, Sarmiento of course maligned the officers. He called them murderers and said they had acted as a firing squad. Never mind that Lopez endangered the public during that high speed pursuit – and he effectively committed suicide by cop when he jumped out of the stolen car he was in with an object in his hand.
Kimberly Davis is a U.S. Veteran with no previous political experience as far as we can tell.
James Wallace is a Republican candidate who works in a union job. He has the support of a grassroots GOP organization called the California Republican Assembly. He took umbrage at Sarmiento giving himself a big raise and knocked the County for doing so little about the homeless.
Nelida Mendoza’s career experience includes working as a teacher and aparalegal. She served in the U.S. Army from 1977 to 1985. She ran in 2024 for the Rancho Santiago Community College District but lost to Cecilia Iglesias. Ironically when Iglesias was recalled off the Santa Ana City Council in 2022 it was Mendoza who completed her term. She then lost that seat to the pro-criminal candidate Ben Vazquez in 2022.
We absolutely oppose Sarmiento. Sarmiento = No Bueno! It is unlikely that Wallace can prevail in this race as the majority of the voters in the 2nd District are registered Democrats. Mendoza at least has a shot at winning so we are supporting her for the 2nd Supervisorial District.
Orange County Superior Court Offices 13 and 41
Santa Ana voters have two judicial election to consider in the races for Office No. 13 and 41.
The candidates for Office No. 13 are Ann Cho, a Senior Deputy District Attorney in Orange County and Robert Mestman, who also is a Senior Deputy District Attorney for the County of Orange.
Cho has the backing of the Orange County Crime Survivors Political Action Committee and the Fountain Valley Police Officers’ Association. See her other endorsements here.
Mestman is endorsed by the Orange County Democratic Party. He is also backed by the Association of Orange County Deputy District Attorneys and 12 police associations including the Santa Ana Police Officers’ Association.
We are going with Mestman as he appears to have more support from law enforcement.
The candidates for Office 41 include Ami S. Sagel, an incumbent Judge; and Charles E. Pell. Pell is a former federal criminal prosecutor, U.S. Navy Veteran, and former public-school teacher.
Sagel has a ton of endorsements from Democrats and Republicans as well as many Judges. Pell will have a tough time beating her.
California Primary Election Races
Governor
The incumbent, Governor Gavin Newsom, has declined to endorse anyone in this race.
There are far too many candidates running for California Governor. The leading candidates include Xavier Becerra, Chad Bianco, Steve Hilton, Matt Mahan, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Tony Thurmond and Antonio Villaraigosa.
President Donald Trump has endorsed Hilton, which might help him in the Primary Election but will doom him in the General Election.
The Republican in the race, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, is garnering less support than Hilton but is favored by those who want the State to focus on law enforcement.
Thurmond and Villaraigosa have no chance of winning and honestly they should have dropped out of this race weeks ago.
Steyer is an old rich guy who is way too progressive.
Porter comes off as mean and nasty. She has been caught on video lambasting the media and her staffers. She also allegedly violently attacked her ex husband on at least one occasion. No thanks!
Becerra is now the leading Democrat in the race since Eric Swalwell imploded in a sea of harassment and rape charges. However Becerra has some major baggage to contend with.
Becerra faces scrutiny primarily over his management of unaccompanied migrant children at HHS, an illegal campaign fund scheme involving his top staff, and a backlash from progressive Democrats over his corporate ties and policy stances. As a leading candidate in the California gubernatorial race, his long political career has drawn intense criticism from both Democratic rivals and Republican opponents:
1. Handling of Migrant Children at HHS
- Lack of Oversight: A high-profile New York Times investigation and subsequent federal audit found that his department rushed the placement of unaccompanied minor migrants with adult sponsors.
- Safety Failures: The agency failed to conduct mandatory background checks or complete required wellness checks.
- Exploitative Labor: Because the agency lost contact with up to 85,000 children, many were funneled into dangerous child labor.
- Defensive Reactions: Rivals like Tom Steyer have run ads stating Becerra is “not fit to lead” over the crisis, while media critics blasted Becerra for labeling the reporting a “MAGA talking point”.
2. Campaign Finance Corruption Scandal
- Staff Plea Deals: Becerra’s former long-time chief of staff, Sean McCluskie, and strategist Dana Williamson pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges.
- Illegal Salary Boosting: The aides illegally funneled money out of Becerra’s dormant campaign account to bolster McCluskie’s federal salary.
- Questionable Executive Judgment: Although federal prosecutors consider Becerra a victim of the fraud, opponents like Katie Porter argue the situation shows a lack of internal control and makes him “too much of a risk”.
3. Progressive Policy and Corporate Backlash
- Fossil Fuel Ties: Climate activists and progressives criticize Becerra for accepting a maximum $39,200 campaign contribution from Chevron.
- Environmental Inaction: During his time as California Attorney General, he was accused of doing the “bare minimum” and refusing to aggressively prosecute Exxon Mobil.
- Healthcare Waffling: Left-wing critics point out that Becerra has avoided taking a clear public stance on single-payer healthcare, allegedly walking back his support during private lobbyist meetings.
4. General Leadership and Demeanor
- Ineffective Governance: Former Biden administration alumni, such as former DOJ spokesperson Xochitl Hinojosa, have publicly stated he was “not effective” and lacked proactive urgency during crises like COVID-19.
- Media Combativeness: A recent KTLA interview went viral after Becerra repeatedly asked the reporter to focus on a “profile piece” rather than a “gotcha piece,” prompting commentators to label his demeanor “whiny” and defensive.
- Past Record as AG: Criminal justice reform advocates have noted that during his 2018 AG campaign, he refused to support tighter restrictions on police use-of-force, leading local editorial boards at the time to criticize him as overly protective of bad policing.
Our favorite candidates for Governor are Mahan and Bianco. Mahan, the Mayor of San Jose, is the only Democratic challenger who has broken from the mold of the other candidates.
Attorney General
The incumbent, Rob Bonta is a progressive Democrat. He has faced continuous pushback from conservative groups and law enforcement associations who argue his policies on bail reform, criminal sentencing, and police accountability are overly lenient and contribute to public safety concerns.
Bonta faced significant criticism after his 2026 reelection campaign account paid $468,000 to a private law firm amid a federal bribery investigation. A formal complaint was filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), alleging he misused campaign funds. The FPPC ultimately cleared Bonta, ruling the expenditure legal because he was approached by federal investigators as a potential witness or extortion victim, not a target.
The federal probe centered on former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and David and Andy Duong, owners of California Waste Solutions. The Duong family had previously donated over $150,000 to Bonta’s campaigns. While Bonta returned the donations and denied close personal ties, critics used the connection to question his ethics.
An informant in the Oakland case sent a letter alleging that the Duong family possessed a compromising surveillance video of Bonta. Bonta’s campaign stated the extortion claim was false, that no video exists, and that Bonta forwarded the letter to the FBI immediately upon receiving it.
In a separate issue, conservative watchdogs criticized Bonta’s office for coordinating an environmental lawsuit against ExxonMobil with a law firm that received funding from an Australian environmental group. Critics framed this as allowing foreign influence over state litigation.
The “Americans for Prosperity” Supreme Court Loss: In 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6–3 against Bonta’s office in Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta. The court found that California’s requirement for non-profits to disclose their major donors violated the First Amendment. Critics highlighted trial revelations showing that the state’s registry was poorly secured, exposing the data of thousands of donors to potential leaks and hackers.
The California Republican Party is backing Michael Gates, a former Huntington Beach City Attorney, for Attorney General. He began his legal career in private practice as a litigator and trial attorney defending high profile cases for police and medical doctors in malpractice cases in court, eventually becoming a partner at an Orange County law firm.
The Democratic Party of Orange County has endorsed Bonta.
We prefer Gates as Bonta generally is anti law enforcement. We need a State Attorney General who will act to lock up our criminals!
Controller
There are three people running for California State Controller.
Malia Cohen has the backing of the Democratic Party of Orange County. She is the incumbent.
Herb Morgan is endorsed by the California Republican Party.
Several criticisms, political controversies, and policy shortcomings have been raised regarding California State Controller Malia Cohen throughout her tenure and political career:
Performance & Policy Criticisms
- Unfulfilled Audit Promises: During her campaign, Cohen pledged to launch highly visible, robust audits into prominent state concerns like homelessness programs, the DMV, and the Employment Development Department (EDD). Critics note she fell short on these objectives, later explaining that she bypassed auditing the EDD and DMV because the state legislature and state auditor were already reviewing them.
- Management of Unclaimed Funds: Cohen has faced scrutiny regarding the controller-led program tasked with returning uncashed checks and old bank accounts to residents. Investigations highlighted that the state retains billions in unclaimed funds that actively collect interest, with critics pointing out that California falls behind other states that employ more aggressive measures to actively track down owners.
- Avoidance of Pressing Fiscal Stances: Early on, Cohen faced criticism for failing to take definitive policy stances on major legislative and fiscal matters—such as gas tax pauses or state stimulus checks—stating instead that she preferred to focus strictly on administrative execution.
Personal Financial Scrutiny
- Business License Suspension: Prior to her election as controller, records from the Franchise Tax Board revealed that the license for Cohen’s social media consulting firm, Power Forward, was suspended due to a “failure to file” a tax return and “failure to pay” taxes. When questioned by the press, Cohen stated she could not recall the specific reason for the suspension, though her campaign later attributed it to a simple address change.
- Past Condo Foreclosure: Opponents frequently pointed to Cohen’s personal financial history during her campaigns, highlighting the foreclosure of a San Francisco condominium she purchased in 2006. Cohen dismissed these attacks as political exploitation.
Intra-Party Friction
- Bipartisan Action Controversy: Cohen drew significant pushback from fellow Democrats after she voted to install Republican Board of Equalization member Ted Gaines into a leadership post. Party leadership and board aides criticized the move as politically damaging, noting it handed a crucial, powerful seat on the Franchise Tax Board to a Republican rather than a Democrat.
Cohen clearly has some major issues. We support Morgan in this race.
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed in January that the superintendent no longer run the California Department of Education. Instead, it would fall under the control of the State Board of Education, which is appointed by the governor. The idea was introduced in his January budget proposal and is expected to pass the Legislature.
Despite Newsom’s actions there are a ton of candidates running for this seat. The California Democratic Party opted not to endorse any of them. The Orange County Democratic Party is backing five of them:
The California union endorsed Richard Barrera, a San Diego Unified school board member who was little known outside San Diego before winning the union’s backing.
The California Republican Party is backing only one candidate – Sonja Shaw. She is a a school board member in Chino Valley. She is opposed to boys who try to play in girls’ sports. She supports a back-to-basics approach to fixing our public schools. She says she will put families first. She has the support of both the Republicans who are running for Governor – Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton.
Our preference is for Shaw as she will at least try to shake things up in Sacramento while the other candidates will cater to the teacher unions not the families of California.
34th State Senate District
There are only two candidates – termed out State Assembyman Avelino Valencia, a Democrat; and Rhonda Shader, a Republican businesswoman.
Valencia has plenty of political experience including serving on the Anaheim City Council. It will be tough for Shader to beat him.
69th State Assembly District
There are two members of the Santa Ana City Council running for the 69th State Assembly District. One of them, Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem David Penaloza, has garnered most of the endorsements. He supports law enforcement, a lifelong stance after his father was killed by a DUI driver. The other, Santa Ana Councilwoman Jessie Lopez, is well known for her liberal views. She opposes the police and is openly socialist in her views. Other candidates for this seat include Mayra Ruiz, a Republican small business owner and Shannon Wingfield, a Democrat who works as a Tribal Council Secretary.
The worst case scenario in this race would be for Lopez to win. If you lean Republican then by all means vote for Ruiz but otherwise we recommend Penaloza. He is a lot more moderate than Lopez and he has always supported small businesses as well.
Lt. Governor
Why are there about 20 candidates running for California Lt. Governor?
The Democratic Party of Orange County has endorsed three of the candidates: Fiona Ma, Michael Tubbs and Josh Fryday.
The California Republican Party has endorsed Gloria Romero.
Josh Fryday, Janelle Kellman, Fiona Ma, Gloria Romero and Michael Tubbs are considered to be the leading candidates for Lt. Governor.
Romero, a former longtime Democratic lawmaker who served nearly 12 years in the State Legislature, became a registered Republican in 2024 after years of expressing discontent with the Democratic Party. She differs with Democrats on school choice, COVID-19 policies and gender identity.
Tubbs served as Mayor of Stockton for one term before he got ousted by a Republican. Running for Lt. Governor seems like a massive overreach for him.
Fryday heads Gov. Gavin Newsom’s volunteer office, a role he’s held since 2019. He previously served as mayor of the Bay Area suburb Novato and, before that, was the COO of NextGen America, a climate advocacy organization founded by billionaire and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer. A former Naval officer, Fryday is endorsed by the powerful California Teachers Association.
Kellman is an attorney and former Sausalito city councilmember. She worked in local government for 10 years before founding a climate nonprofit dedicated to studying sea-level rise.
Ma is the epitome of a career politician. Since 2019, she has been California’s State Treasurer, the state’s top asset manager and financier, where she oversees the world’s fourth-largest economy. She previously was on the Board of Equalization from 2014 to 2018 and she was a San Francisco Supervisor. A former assemblymember, Ma served four terms in the state Legislature and was second-in-line in Assembly leadership during her final term.
Electing another environmental cult member seems like a bad idea in a state that has already seen several refineries shut down. Hate gasoline all you want but our economy still depends on it and making us pay almost double what folks in other states pay per gallon is not fair, particularly to the working class. So we say know to Kellman and Fryday.
Ma seems to be running just so she can stay in office. No thanks! We prefer Romero in this race. As the only endorsed Republican she has a shot at getting the majority of the voters.
California State Treasurer
There are six candidates running for California State Treasurer. The leading candidates include Anna M. Caballero, Jennifer Hawks, Eleni Kounalakis and Tony Vazquez.
The Democratic Party of Orange County has endorsed Vazquez, Kounalakis and Anna Caballero.
A longtime politician from Salinas, Caballero served as the city’s mayor, assemblymember and state senator before moving east to Fresno after the state’s electoral map was redrawn in 2021. Along the way she’s developed a legislative reputation as a leader on agriculture and housing policy, the latter of which she bolstered during her stint as the state’s top housing official under then-Gov. Jerry Brown. A relative moderate in the Democratic caucus, she has occasionally bucked her party’s progressive wing on environmental regulation and criminal justice issues. In this campaign, she has vowed to simplify the application process for affordable housing subsidies and steer state resources away from federal immigration activities.
With two terms as lieutenant governor under her belt, Kounalakis has plenty of experience on state boards — a big feature of the treasurer post. On both the UC Board of Regents and the Board of Trustees for the California State University system, she has regularly voted down proposed tuition hikes. Kounalakis comes to politics by way of fundraising. The daughter of Sacramento developer Angelo Tsakopolous, Kounalakis was a big spender in Democratic Party politics in the early 2000s, which helped land her an ambassadorship to Hungary under President Barack Obama. Kounalakis originally ran for governor, but dropped her bid late last year.
A former councilmember from Santa Monica, where he served as the city’s first Latino mayor, Vazquez is now coming off of eight years on California’s Board of Equalization. That’s a frequent jumping off point for would-be treasurers (current Treasurer Fiona Ma made the same hop), even if the elected tax commissioner job is light on responsibility. In his current campaign, Vazquez has stressed his Latino roots and his connection to storied California labor leader Dolores Huerta.
Hawks has the backing of the California Republican Party. Hawks doesn’t have any experience in elected office, a fact she touts proudly. Instead, the longtime Silicon Valley retiree most recently served on the executive team at Sacred Heart Schools, an Atherton Catholic school favored by the Bay Area’s venture capitalist elite. Hawks is also a local Republican Party activist. Both her career background and her politics make her an outlier for a job that has been exclusively held by Democratic career politicians going on three decades. Hawks said that gives her the skills and independence to provide a check on the rest of the state.
We don’t think Hawk will get much backing as a political newcomer. Of the rest of the candidates we like that Caballero has at times taken on the progressives in her party. We also like that Kounalakis has opposed tuition hikes. It does strike us however that she is trying to buy the seat, so we prefer Caballero in this race.
Insurance Commissioner
There are eleven candidates for Insurance Commissioner. Good grief that is too many! Our current Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has been a total disaster. Insurance costs are skyrocketing in California and many insurance carriers have completely pulled out of the state.
The Democraticy Party of Orange County has endorsed Patrick Wolff, Steven Bradford, Jane Kim and Ben Allen.
Allen is a lawyer and a termed out State Senator. He has a more comprehensive approach to risk reduction, including by creating funding sources such as state-backed loans for hardening homes, and by bringing together insurers, builders, local governments, firefighters and the state to work on solutions. As part of reducing risk, he wants to restrict new construction in high-risk zones, saying developers who are building in such areas are “basically freeloading off the rest of us.” He also wants to “carefully and sensitively” find a way to incentivize those already living in risky areas to move elsewhere. He has received the most endorsements from the who’s-who of state politics, including Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, both U.S. senators from California, Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, and more than two dozen state lawmakers.
Kim has been endorsed by socialist Bernie Sanders. She is a lawyer, consumer advocate and former San Francisco Supervisor. She is the head of the California Working Families Party, which is pretty much a socialist party. As one might expect for someone backed by socialists, she is pushing for natural disaster insurance for all and stablish a public option for auto insurance by expanding eligibility for an existing program that provides low-cost insurance to drivers who make less than $38,000 a year. Kim also wants to provide Medicare for kids. She believes California should centralize all insurance authority within the insurance department instead of having managed health care handled by the Managed Health Care Department. She has the backing unions such as SEIU California, the California Teachers Association and the UFCW Western States Council.
Wolff is a financial analyst, who lives in San Francisco. He is a Democrat and he has never held public office. He obtained an insurance license ahead of his run for commissioner. He says he wants to help fix the problems he sees in the insurance market. He has the backing of several major newspapers including the San Francisco Chronicle, the Orange County Register and the Sacramento Bee.
The California Republican Party has endorsed Stacy Korsgaden. She is a nationally recognized insurance subject-matter expert who is running for California Insurance Commissioner. She has held an active California Insurance license (#0750748) since 1988 and has spent more than 37 years helping families and small businesses navigate complex insurance policies, devastating losses, and an increasingly broken regulatory system.
We don’t believe that Korsgaden can raise the resources to compete in this race. Of the Democrats running we prefer Allen over Wolff. Wolff has some interesting ideas but his lack of political and insurance experience hurts his campaign prospects.
State Board of Equalization, 4th District
There are five candidates in the race for the 4th District of the California State Board of Equalization including termed out State Senator Tom Umberg, who has represented central Orange County for several years. This office specifically oversee the county tax assessors to confirm that tax values are equal between the counties, along with liquor licenses, insurance and railroad property valuations.
The Democratic Party of Orange County has endorsed Umberg as well as Martin Arias and Cody Peterson.
Umber has the backing of SEIU California, the California Teachers Association and Equality California.
Arias says he is the Director of Prevention and Intervention at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. He created and produced 19 Homeless Court Resource Fairs over a four-year period, which have helped over 2,000 community members obtain shelter. He is an elected member of the San Ysidro School Board, the Border View YMCA Board of Directors, and as President of the Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center.
Peterson is currently Chief Deputy of the California State Board of Equalization, Fourth District. He spent two years living in the Quechua-speaking communities of the Peruvian Andes studying land reform, municipal government, and ethnic conflict. After receiving his PhD, he spent several years directing a nonprofit social science research firm, specializing in fisheries management and climate resilience.
There is actually a registered Libertarian in this race, Gardner C. Osborne. He is a 25 year Tax Accountant (Enrolled Agent) and an Investment Advisor that is running for the CA Board of Equalization, Dist 4. TI have been representing tax payers with income, property and sales taxes for decades always on the side of the taxpayer.
The Republican candidate is Denis Bilodeau. He is endorsed by the California Republican Party, Reform California and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
While Osborne has no chance of winning we cannot help but support the only Libertarian in this race. He is also advocating for tax reform, which is very much needed in California.
Secretary of State
There are four candidates running for California Secretary of State.
Don Wagner, an Orange County Supervisor, is endorsed by the California Republican Party.
The incumbent, Shirley Weber, has the backing of the Democratic Party of Orange County.
Several key criticisms, administrative challenges, and political controversies have been raised regarding California Secretary of State Shirley Weber:
Slow Ballot Counting Process
- Delayed Election Certification: Weber has faced persistent bipartisan criticism for California’s notoriously slow ballot-counting process.
- Undermining Public Trust: Opponents argue that taking up to 30 days to finalize and certify tallies compromises public confidence in election integrity.
- Reluctance to Reform: Critics note she has actively resisted pressure to speed up the count, publicly stating that “accuracy is far more important” than speed.
- Friction Over Mail-In Ballots: Political rivals have targeted her for failing to lobby lawmakers to scale back or accelerate universal mail-in voting timelines.
Pushback on Primary System Positions
- Support for Partisan Primaries: Weber drew ire from non-partisan and moderate advocacy groups after publicly declaring California’s “top-two” open primary system a failure.
- Advocating to Restrict Options: Her vocal preference to return to a traditional, partisan primary structure was criticized as an attempt to favor major party control over independent and third-party candidates.
Local and Federal Legal Friction
- Clashes with Law Enforcement: Weber faced public pushback from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office after her office attempted to shut down their localized probe into alleged voting irregularities. Critics accused her office of intimidating local officials, though Weber maintained the Sheriff lacked the specialized legal authority to run election audits.
- Federal Records Standby: She was sued by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) after refusing to hand over California’s complete, unredacted statewide voter registration database. While the federal court ultimately dismissed the lawsuit to protect voter privacy, critics initially weaponized the refusal as an alleged attempt to obstruct transparency.
Voter Guide Transparency Concerns
- Hate Speech Controversy: Weber faced intense backlash from Jewish community leaders for allowing anti-Jewish conspiracy theories from a fringe gubernatorial candidate to be published in the official state voter-information guide.
- Defending First Amendment Protections: Though community groups argued she had a duty to repudiate and omit the text, Weber defended her handling of the situation by stating that candidate statements are legally protected by the First Amendment and cannot be unilaterally censored by her office.
Weber clearly has some major issues. As such we are backing Wagner in this race.
Federal Primary Election Races
Lou Correa is once again running for reelection in the race for the 46th Congressional District. Correa, a Democrat, is backed by his party.
David Pan is running against Correa as the Republican in the race. Pan is along-time professor of German at the University of California, Irvine. He previously served on the U.S. State Department’s Commission on Unalienable Rights from 2019 to 2020.
Pan believes that all welfare and entitlement programs should be phased out, and the money saved would be enough to provide $16,000 per year to every citizen 21 years of age and older. Of this money, $12,000 per year would be a direct deposit into bank accounts, and $4000 per year would be in the form of a health insurance voucher, to be used on the private market, thereby creating universal coverage in a totally private system.
There are three unknown Democrats running as well including Christian Mendez, Frank Bahna and Armando Perez-Serrato.
Pan has no shot of winning. We have always supported Correa. While he is a Democrat he is moderate and supports law enforcement.