Santa Ana City Council Election Night Results 2024

Initial results successful the contention for Santa Ana politician showed Mayor Valerie Amezcua successful the pb implicit Councilman Ben Vazquez by implicit 8,800 votes successful the mayoral contention oregon by astir 29% of the votes counted truthful far. 

In Ward 1 Councilwoman Thai Viet Phan led hostile Julie Tran by implicit 860 votes oregon astir 29% of the votes counted truthful far.

In Ward 3, Councilwoman Jessie Lopez led hostile Jeff Katz by 89 votes oregon astir 1% of the votes counted truthful far.

In Ward 5, Councilman Johnathan Hernandez led hostile Mario Alvarado by implicit 450 votes oregon astir 15% of the votes counted truthful far.

The predetermination comes successful a metropolis that is expected to suffer $30 cardinal successful yearly tax gross successful 5 years amid the anticipated alteration of Measure X – a income taxation measurement approved successful 2018.

It besides comes much than a twelvemonth aft officials agreed to settee a ineligible assertion filed by the former metropolis manager alleging a unit run by elected officials connected behalf of the constabulary union to boost erstwhile national president Gerry Serrano’s wage and pension. 

In the assertion that metropolis officials tried to support secret, erstwhile City Manager Kristine Ridge besides accused Amezcua of creating a hostile enactment environment.

In a probe completed aft the payout, city-hired investigators concluded that they can’t prolong allegations that Amezcua created a hostile workplace situation for Ridge oregon interfered with her work.

[Read: Why Did Santa Ana Pay A Former City Manager’s $600K Claim Before an Investigation? City Releases Findings]

In a abstracted probe, investigators recovered capable grounds to prolong allegations that Hernandez violated the metropolis charter by interfering with metropolis staff’s enactment to program the Juneteenth celebration, the Chicano Heritage Festival and Indigenous People’s day.

Ridge’s departure past twelvemonth came weeks aft erstwhile Police Chief David Valentin announced his retirement successful a letter, seemingly pointing to the constabulary union’s governmental scope implicit metropolis hallway – a radical that routinely spends large successful section elections.

His predecessor, Carlos Rojas, alleged successful a 2017 suit against the city that helium was forced to resign arsenic portion of an effort by erstwhile Mayor Miguel Pulido and erstwhile Police Union President Serrano to propulsion him retired – an allegation they denied.

Meanwhile, nationalist information unions and existent property interests are spending tens of thousands of dollars connected their preferred candidates successful Santa Ana’s metropolis assembly races this year.

[Read: Police Union, Real Estate Interests Spend Big successful Santa Ana Elections]

As of Oct. 30, the constabulary national – astatine the halfway of Ridge’s allegations – has spent implicit $212,000 betwixt Amezcua’s reelection campaign, Alvarado’s run and Katz’s run – with the astir spending going to Alvarado.

The national has besides spent implicit $53,000 connected mailers and integer ads against Hernandez and implicit $70,000 against Vazquez, arsenic of Oct. 30.

Progressive groups similar OC Action are besides spending tens of thousands of dollars collectively connected their preferred candidates successful Hernandez, Lopez and Vazquez, but successful importantly smaller amounts, according to city run concern disclosures.

The California Working Families Party spent astatine slightest $5,000 connected integer advertisements supporting Hernandez and different $5,000 successful enactment of Lopez’s reelection campaign.

OC Action has spent implicit $10,000 successful enactment of Vazquez and implicit $10,000 successful enactment of Lopez.

Hosam Elattar is simply a Voice of OC newsman and corps subordinate with Report for America, a GroundTruth initiative. Contact him astatine [email protected] oregon connected Twitter @ElattarHosam.

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