Voters Weigh In on Orange County Supervisor Election
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. On March 9, residents of Orange County, California, will vote to fill the Board of Supervisors seat vacated in District 2 when Michelle Steel left for Congress. The election is to be certified by April 8.
The Epoch Times spoke with voters in the district ahead of election night to see how they would vote and why. Most declined to comment or said they didn’t know much about the election. Those who did comment identified homelessness as one of their top priorities for the new supervisor to tackle though they placed their hopes in different candidates for addressing that problem.
Orange County Supervisor Candidates Discuss Top Priorities
With the Orange County Board of Supervisors’ District 2 election happening March 9, The Epoch Times reached out to all five candidates to ask their opinions on a range of topics.
Each was asked, “Outside the pandemic, what would you consider to be the top issue facing District 2? How would you address it?”
Newport Beach Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Muldoon said that reduced spending will be key to handling the long-term financial impacts of COVID-19.
“The county must deal with the long-term impacts of the pandemic, including decreased revenues,” Muldoon said. “Disciplined spending and the temporary halting of nonessential projects will help us navigate these challenging times.”
Orange County Supervisor Candidate Handily Outraises Competitors as Race Reaches Final Stretch
Orange County Board of Supervisors candidate Katrina Foley has outraised her competitors vying for the vacant District 2 seat, documents showed as the special election campaign reached its final week.
Foley, Costa Mesa mayor, received a total of $397,771 in contributions from donors since the beginning of the year, according to documents filed on the Orange County Registrar of Voters’ website.
Jackie Wu, community outreach manager for the Orange County Registrar’s Office, said candidates have a donation limit of $2,100 from a single source, regardless of whether it’s from an individual or an organization.
Orange County Supervisor Candidates Share Strategies on Combatting Homelessness
With the race for the Orange County Board of Supervisors’ second district seat gearing up, The Epoch Times reached out to all five candidates regarding their views on some of the county’s top issues.
The topic of homelessness has been a major county problem for years, and is one cities throughout the county continue to address.
Each candidate was asked, “If elected, what would you do to address homelessness in Orange County?”
Former State Senator John Moorlach who once held the District 2 seat emphasized his past work in helping mentally ill and homeless residents. He said he would bring his state experience to continue working to address the crisis.
COVID-19 Vaccination Site Opens in Santa Ana
Orange County opened its third vaccination point of distribution (POD) at Santa Ana City College on Feb 17.
The latest POD is smaller than the county’s super sites and can administer up to 1,000 doses per day.
“It really is incredible news that we have as much vaccine now coming into Santa Ana, because for a while, as recent as a couple of weeks ago, it was a different story,” Santa Ana Mayor Vicente Sarmiento said at a city council meeting on Feb. 16.
The POD’s goal is to provide at least 240 vaccinations per hour. The POD at Soka University exceeded 300 vaccinations per hour.