For the first time in the state’s history, someone from Orange County has a real shot at being governor. We should seize this opportunity.

The fact that there’s never been a California governor from Orange County has nothing to do with a lack of talent. There are plenty of well-qualified Republicans and Democrats. Unfortunately, they rarely get the chance. Unlike San Francisco and Los Angeles—where most recent governors have come from—there is no “mayor” of Orange County. Potential governors need a high-profile platform to get the attention necessary to win statewide office.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is the exception that proves the name-recognition rule. Despite never holding public office, having no experience grappling with the state’s complex problems, and never having earned a four-year college degree, Schwarzenegger was elected twice due to his celebrity status.

Orange County has some real bones to pick with Sacramento. We are a “donor” county, meaning we pay more in taxes than we get back in state spending. OC cities—both Democratic and Republican—resent state regulatory overreach and unfunded mandates. We are also the state’s third most populated county, behind Los Angeles and San Diego. A governor from Orange County could speak for us where it counts.

Orange County also has a lot to contribute. Our county’s economy is the envy of the world. We have comparatively low unemployment and a Gross County Product (GCP) that is larger than many states and nations. One of the reasons California has the fourth-largest economy in the world is because of Orange County.

Of the six frontrunners, only Katie Porter is from Southern California, where 60% of the state lives; the rest are from NorCal, except for Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. Some people say there’s a real chance that the June 2 primary will send two Republicans—Hilton and Bianco—to the general election in November. One way or another, I just don’t think either of these Republican Trump supporters will become governor of “blue” California.

That leaves Northerners Tom Steyer (San Francisco), Matt Mahan (San Jose), and Eric Swalwell (East Bay city of Dublin), and Katie Porter, who is from Irvine. She has high name identification—she was one of the best-polling Democrats due to her service in the House of Representatives and her unsuccessful Senate run—and is a formidable fundraiser. Both are necessary to win.

A governor from Orange County will help update the way Sacramento and the nation see us. Orange County was, according to Ronald Reagan, “where all the good Republicans go to die.” TV shows like The O.C. and The Real Housewives of Orange County reinforced the county’s image as all-white and obnoxiously rich. According to this view, social ills such as homelessness, housing affordability, income inequality, crime, pollution, and transportation just aren’t as bad “behind the Orange Curtain” as they are in the rest of the state.

The notion that Orange County is a “red county” is also seriously outdated: Democrats are the majority party, the Democratic candidate swept the county in the last three presidential elections, and the 2021 recall of Gavin Newsom failed. Nearly all Congressional seats (five of six) are held by Democrats. The mayors of three of our five largest cities are Democrats, as are the majority of the members of the Board of Supervisors. We are neither “red” nor “blue,” but “purple.”

The county is also one of the most ethnically diverse parts of the state and is increasingly urbanized. The election of a governor from Orange County—and California’s first woman governor to boot—would certainly garner national media attention. Some outlets would hopefully revisit outdated county stereotypes, to everyone’s benefit.

Please remember these things when you cast your ballot.

Fred Smoller teaches courses on state and local government at Chapman University. He’s not affiliated with the Porter campaign.