Initial results in the race for Santa Ana mayor showed Mayor Valerie Amezcua in the lead over Councilman Ben Vazquez by over 8,800 votes in the mayoral race or by about 29% of the votes counted so far.
In Ward 1 Councilwoman Thai Viet Phan led opponent Julie Tran by over 860 votes or about 29% of the votes counted so far.
In Ward 3, Councilwoman Jessie Lopez led opponent Jeff Katz by 89 votes or about 1% of the votes counted so far.
In Ward 5, Councilman Johnathan Hernandez led opponent Mario Alvarado by over 450 votes or about 15% of the votes counted so far.
The election comes in a city that is expected to lose $30 million in annual tax revenue in five years amid the anticipated decrease of Measure X – a sales tax measure approved in 2018.
It also comes more than a year after officials agreed to settle a legal claim filed by the former city manager alleging a pressure campaign by elected officials on behalf of the police union to boost former union president Gerry Serrano’s pay and pension.
In the claim that city officials tried to keep secret, former City Manager Kristine Ridge also accused Amezcua of creating a hostile work environment.
In a probe completed after the payout, city-hired investigators concluded that they can’t sustain allegations that Amezcua created a hostile workplace environment for Ridge or interfered with her work.
In a separate probe, investigators found enough evidence to sustain allegations that Hernandez violated the city charter by interfering with city staff’s work to plan the Juneteenth celebration, the Chicano Heritage Festival and Indigenous People’s day.
Ridge’s departure last year came weeks after former Police Chief David Valentin announced his retirement in a letter, seemingly pointing to the police union’s political reach over city hall – a group that routinely spends big in local elections.
His predecessor, Carlos Rojas, alleged in a 2017 lawsuit against the city that he was forced to resign as part of an effort by former Mayor Miguel Pulido and former Police Union President Serrano to push him out – an allegation they denied.
Meanwhile, public safety unions and real estate interests are spending tens of thousands of dollars on their preferred candidates in Santa Ana’s city council races this year.
[Read: Police Union, Real Estate Interests Spend Big in Santa Ana Elections]
As of Oct. 30, the police union – at the center of Ridge’s allegations – has spent over $212,000 between Amezcua’s reelection campaign, Alvarado’s campaign and Katz’s campaign – with the most spending going to Alvarado.
The union has also spent over $53,000 on mailers and digital ads against Hernandez and over $70,000 against Vazquez, as of Oct. 30.
Progressive groups like OC Action are also spending tens of thousands of dollars collectively on their preferred candidates in Hernandez, Lopez and Vazquez, but in significantly smaller amounts, according to city campaign finance disclosures.
The California Working Families Party spent at least $5,000 on digital advertisements supporting Hernandez and another $5,000 in support of Lopez’s reelection campaign.
OC Action has spent over $10,000 in support of Vazquez and over $10,000 in support of Lopez.
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter and corps member with Report for America, a GroundTruth initiative. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @ElattarHosam.
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