In case the fliers stuffed in your mailboxes and campaign ads popping up all over social media weren’t an indicator, the primary election campaign season is officially upon us.
In Orange County, that looks like six congressional districts on the primary ballot — four considered by election analysts to be competitive this year — as well as one state Senate and nine Assembly races. There are also two Board of Supervisor races on the ballot along with three Board of Education seats and an effort to recall two Orange Unified School District trustees.
Over the next week, we plan to highlight one Orange County congressional race each day, starting with California’s 38th district on Monday. We’ll explore the district, from the voter makeup to its boundary lines, and compare the candidates’ platforms and campaign finance reports so you can make informed decisions when filling out your primary ballots.
We will also break down the legislative and county races over the next week as well.
What to know about OC’s House races
Six congressional districts represent at least a sliver of Orange County residents:
• CA-38 includes portions of Los Angeles and Orange counties, including La Habra. Voter registration as of Jan. 5: 48.3% Democrats, 22.8% no party preference, 22.7% Republicans.
• CA-40 includes western San Bernardino and Riverside counties and eastern Orange County, including Mission Viejo, Villa Park and Yorba Linda. Voter registration as of Jan. 5: 37.9% Republicans, 33.9% Democrats, 22% no party preference.
• CA-45 includes a portion of Los Angeles County and Orange County, including Buena Park, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove and Westminster. Voter registration as of Jan. 5: 37.9% Democrats, 32.4% Republicans, 24% no party preference.
• CA-46, in just Orange County, includes Anaheim, Fullerton and Santa Ana. Voter registration as of Jan. 5: 48.8% Democrats, 23.1% no party preference, 22.1% Republicans.
• CA-47, in just Orange County, includes Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach and Newport Beach. Voter registration as of Jan. 5: 35.6% Democrats, 34.3% Republicans, 23.8% no party preference.
• CA-49 includes San Diego and Orange counties, including Dana Point, Laguna Niguel and San Clemente. Voter registration as of Jan. 5: 36.7% Democrats, 33.4% Republicans, 22.2% no party preference.
California’s 47th congressional district is the only race without an incumbent. Rep. Katie Porter, a Democrat who holds the seat now, is running for U.S. Senate instead of re-election.
That district is one of four considered to be competitive in Orange County — and could help determine what political party controls the House and speakership next year. According to election analyst Cook Political Report, the district is considered to “lean Democrat.”
Other competitive races include the 40th district, represented by Republican Rep. Young Kim; the 45th, represented by Republican Rep. Michelle Steel; and the 49th, represented by Democratic Rep. Mike Levin. The Cook Political Report ranks Levin’s seat as “likely Democrat” and Kim’s as “likely Republican.” Steel’s seat is considered to “lean Republican.”
Check back for the first installment of the series, breaking down the race for CA-38. Incumbent Rep. Linda Sánchez, a Democrat, faces three Republican challengers: entrepreneur Eric Ching, entrepreneur Robert Ochoa and pastor John Sarega.
In the meantime, you can find information about each candidate on your ballot, from the U.S. Senate race to local contests, as well as an interactive map to find the nearest ballot drop box, explainers on the ballot measures and a look at who our opinion team has endorsed at our 2024 Primary Election Voter Guide here.
