Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento took a strong early lead in the race for the District 2 seat on the OC Board of Supervisors shortly after polls closed Tuesday night.
Kimberly Davis was in a distant second, followed by Nelida Mendoza and James Wallace.
Sarmiento is up for reelection against former Santa Ana City Council colleague Mendoza, veteran-turned-entrepreneur Davis and commercial decorator Wallace. Unless one candidate wins more than 50% of votes in the primary, the top two vote-getters will advance to a November runoff.
The Second District is the first Latino majority district in the county, covering Santa Ana and parts of Anaheim, Garden Grove, Orange and Tustin.
• Also see: June 2 Primary Election Results
Sarmiento, a Democrat, was elected to the seat in 2022, after serving 15 years on the Santa Ana City Council, including two as mayor. He chairs the Commission to End Homelessness and the board of CalOptima, the county’s health insurance program for the poor.
Mendoza served on the Santa Ana City Council from 2020 to 2022. A retired paralegal, Mendoza also served on the Rancho Santiago Community College District Board of Trustees from 2012 to 2020.
Davis, the only first-time candidate in the race, is an Air Force veteran and federal analyst. She said she wants to reform family court and conduct regular audits of county-funded services.
Wallace made a run for state assembly in 2022, losing to Avelino Valencia in the race for the 68th District. A Cal State Fullerton graduate, he’s worked in the trade show industry since 2017.
The Board of Supervisors is nonpartisan, but District 2 leans heavily Democrat. The party has 46% of registered voters, compared to nearly 24% each for Republicans and those not affiliated with a party, according to data from the OC Registrar of Voters.
The county’s five-member governing body oversees a budget of nearly $11 billion and 18,000 employees across various departments, including public health, public safety, social services, animal care and public works.
The registrar of voters will continue to tally votes daily until all are counted. Continue to check back here for updates.