Orange County Voter Guide: What's On The June 2 Ballot

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Ballots for the June 2 Statewide Direct Primary Election will land in mailboxes starting next week, bearing the names of more than 60 candidates for one of the most chaotic gubernatorial races California has seen in decades.

It’s a political contest plagued by scandal, partisan infighting, and a lack of clear frontrunners. Beyond the swift rise and fall of Democratic former Rep. Eric Swalwell, who ended his campaign and congressional career amid allegations of sexual assault, the major storyline has been the possibility that two Republican candidates might emerge from the primary as dozens of Democrats divide the vote. In California, the top two vote-getters in the primary — regardless of party preference — advance to the November general election.

Down-ballot, voters will weigh in on congressional races. Thanks largely to the naked gerrymandering of Proposition 50 passed by Golden State voters last year in a rebuke of President Donald Trump, 2026 is shaping up to be a slog for the California GOP, according to the polls. The party currently holds just eight of the state’s 52 congressional seats after the Jan. 6 death of Northern California’s Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa. According to the Cook Political Report, only four of those eight are solidly Republican heading into the primary.

Closer to home, voters will cast ballots in several local races.

Races to watch in Orange County

In Orange County, the county is split among eight congressional districts — up two from the 2024 elections.

The race for California's 40th Congressional District has drawn national attention as redistricting pitted two Republican lawmakers, Reps. Ken Calvert and Young Kim, against each other in the same district.

Along with the many congressional races happening across the county, some voters will also decide who they want to represent them on the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

Here's a run down on races happening across Orange County:

Board of Supervisors

Residents are guaranteed at least a small change-up on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, as longstanding Supervisor Doug Chaffee is termed out and unable to seek re-election.

Running for Chaffee's seat include Buena Park Mayor Connor Traut, Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung, Board of Education trustee Tim Shaw and former La Habra Councilmember Rose Espinoza.

The district covers North Orange County cities and surrounding unincorporated areas.

In the 5th District, Katrina Foley will run for re-election against Assemblymember Diane Dixon, R-Newport Beach, and Lucy Vellema, an educator in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

The 5th District represents Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, San Clemente and more.

In the 2nd District, former Santa Ana Councilmember Nelida Mendoza, commercial decorator James Wallace and business owner Kimberly Davis are challenging 2nd District Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento.

District 2 represents Santa Ana, parts of Garden Grove, Anaheim and Orange.

CA-40

The hotly-contested race to represent California's 40th Congressional District sets the stage for the Republican-on-Republican battle of incumbents Calvert and Kim.

Other contenders slated to run against the incumbents include Democrats Francis Xavier Hoffman, Claude Keissieh, Joe Kerr, Esther Kim Varet and Lisa Ramirez.

Nina Linh, who is registered no party preference, is also running for the seat.

The 40th District spans Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties and includes cities such as Rancho Santa Margarita, Mission Viejo, Laguna Woods, Aliso Viejo, Villa Park, eastern Orange and more.

In the 40th Congressional District, 40.15 percent of registered voters are Republicans, 31.11 percent are Democrats and 21.01 percent have no party preference.

CA-41

Democratic Rep. Linda Sánchez is looking to be reelected to the House in the new 41st Congressional District.

The new district spans Orange and Los Angeles counties and includes Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, Lakewood, Downey, Whittier, La Mirada and La Habra.

Running against Sánchez include fellow Democrats Hector de la Torre, Gwendolyn Molina and Shonique Williams.

Republican Mitch Clemmons is also vying for the seat.

In the new 41st Congressional District, 45.81 percent of registered voters are Democrats, 26.49 percent are Republicans and 20.69 are no party preference.

CA-42

California's 42nd Congressional District is another new district for Orange County voters. The district spans the coast, from Long Beach down to Huntington Beach and parts of Newport Beach.

Rep. Robert Garcia, a Democrat, has filed to run against Republicans Brian Burley, Long Pham and Noah Von Blom.

No party preference candidate Larisa Vermeulen also filed to run.

In California's 42nd Congressional District, 40.56 percent of registered voters are Democrats, 30.38 percent of voters are Republicans and 24.98 percent of voters are no party preference.

CA-45

In California's 45th Congressional District, Rep. Derek Tran — a Democrat — has filed to run against Republicans Mark Leonard, Chi Charlie Nguyen, Amy Phan West, Chuong Vo and Tom Vo.

The district encompasses Buena Park, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove and Westminster, as well as a portion of Los Angeles County.

In the 45th Congressional District, registered Democrats account for 38.64 percent of voters, Republicans make up 30.62 percent and no party preference accounts for 24.98 percent.

CA-46

In California's 46th Congressional District, Lou Correa — a Democrat — has filed to run.

He will be running against a few other Democratic candidates, including Frank Bahena, Christian Mendez and Armando Perez-Serrato.

Republican David Pan has also filed to run here.

The district spans Anaheim, Santa Ana and Stanton, as well as parts of Orange and Fullerton.

In California's 46th Congressional District, voter registration stats show 45.73 percent of voters are registered Democrats, 24.59 are Republicans and 23.6 are no party preference.

CA-47

A slew of candidates are running for California's 47th Congressional District, including incumbent Rep. Dave Min, a Democrat.

Running against Min include Republicans Bill Brough, Christopher Gonzales, Michael Maxsenti and Jenny Rae Le Rouz.

Democrat Hunter Garcia Miranda also filed, along with Libertarian Derrick Michael Reid and no party preference runners Jesus Patino and Eric Troutman.

The 47th Congressional District includes Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest and Tustin.

In this district, 36.25 percent of registered voters are Democrats, 32.17 percent of voters are Republicans and 25.28 are no party preference.

CA-49

In California's 49th Congressional District, Rep. Mike Levin — a Democrat — filed to run for re-election. Star Parker, a Republican, also filed to run alongside Republican Armen Kurdian and Julian Arellano, a Democrat.

This district spans San Diego and Orange counties and includes Ladera Ranch, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

Here, 36.42 percent of registered voters are Democrats, 32.04 percent are Republicans and 23.78 percent are no party preference.

The Governor’s Race

California's 2026 gubernatorial contest has become one of the most unpredictable races in political history, and with just one month left before the primary election, the slate of leading contenders to succeed outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to evolve.

Swalwell's departure and political collapse had a tremendous impact on the gubernatorial race, according to experts. Before the sexual assault allegations surfaced, Swalwell, who represented the Bay Area, received the support of 17 percent of likely voters, polls showed.

Swalwell's April 11 gubernatorial exit triggered an immediate shift, allowing former state Attorney General Xavier Becerra to advance in a new poll, gaining 10 percent of likely voters, while fellow Democrat and billionaire Tom Steyer was the frontrunner among Democrats with 14 percent of likely voters. Former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton, who received President Donald Trump's endorsement earlier this month, received 17 percent of support and was leading his Republican rival, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who polled at 14 percent.

Former Rep. Katie Porter was in a dead heat with Becerra at 10 percent, while San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan received 5 percent of likely voters' support.

The poll, released on Thursday, was commissioned by the right-leaning Nexstar Media Group and Inside California Politics and conducted by Emerson College from April 14 through April 15.

Last month, California Democratic National Committee Chair Rusty Hicks released an open letter and made an unexpected plea for the Democratic field of contenders to "assess the viability of their candidacy and campaign," but stopped short of calling out any candidates or pressuring anyone to drop their bid.

With the primary election only a few weeks away — and the top Democratic contenders currently splitting the vote — 27 percent of likely voters remain undecided, which could affect the candidates who have moved up in the polls.

"The Emerson poll shows Becerra going from 7th or 8th place to tied for 4th or 5th place right now. Swalwell's exit, at least based on this poll, seems to have benefitted Steyer, Porter, Becerra, and Mahan — all Democrats who have improved over the last Emerson poll," Christian Grose, a political expert and director of the USC Democracy and Fair Elections Lab, told Patch.

"However, I think Steyer or Porter are best poised to benefit from Swalwell's exit as they have consistently polled the best among Democrats over multiple polls. The Emerson poll's results for other candidates will need to be replicated elsewhere before I believe there is movement for Becerra or Mahan. The race is fluid so seeing multiple polls with increases in these candidate numbers could help," Grose added.

A CBS News/YouGov poll released on Tuesday indicates the 2026 California governor's race continues to shift, but no contender — Democrat or Republican — has emerged as the frontrunner since Stalwell's campaign imploded. The poll was conducted between April 23 and April 27 following last week’s contentious gubernatorial debate.

According to the poll, Hilton has the strongest support among voters, with 16 percent. Steyer trailed with 15 percent of support.

Becerra continued to climb, with 13 percent. Bianco was polling at 10 percent, and Porter showed a marginal slip with 9 percent of support. Mahan also slid by about 1 percentage point, tying with former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, with 4 percent. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond received 1 percent of support.

Competitive House Races Statewide

In the ongoing gerrymander battle, California has been the biggest prize for House Democrats, who think they can pick up between three and five seats from state Republicans.

Here’s a brief breakdown of candidates in each of the state’s most competitive congressional districts:

District 1, the longtime Chico seat held by the late LaMalfa, is widely expected to swing Democratic after Prop. 50 shifted the district westward and southward to include coastal Northern California and parts of Sonoma County. According to the Cook Partisan Voter Index, the district went from being 12 percent more Republican than the national average to 7 percent more Democratic than the national average.

Voters in the changing district will have a confusing election day. That’s because on June 2, they’ll be voting in a special election in the current right-leaning District 1 for someone to finish out LaMalfa’s term, which expires Jan. 3. At the same time, voters in the new left-leaning District 1 will vote in the primary with the top two vote-getters heading to the Nov. 3 general election.

Candidates in the primary election include Democrats Audrey Denney, Janice Karrman, State Senator Mike McGuire of Healdsburg, and Republican State Assemblyman James Gallagher. No Party Preference candidates include Timothy Sean Kelly and Richard T. Minner.

District 6 in the suburbs of Sacramento is one in which incumbents are playing musical chairs thanks to Prop. 50. Democratic incumbent Rep. Ami Bera is now running in the new District 3, and District 3 Republican incumbent Rep. Kevin Kiley is running in District 6 as an Independent who will caucus with the Republicans. The party change would seem to give him a fighting chance in a new District 6 that leans Democratic.

“While this will be a more challenging race, I believe we can build a winning coalition for common sense,” Kiley wrote on social media.

Closely aligned with Trump, Kiley is running against a large field of Democratic contenders, including Lauren Babb Tomlinson, Martha Guerrero, Thien Ho, Richard Pan, and Tyler Vandenberg. Republican Michael Stansfield is also on the ballot.

District 22 was always going to be a challenge for incumbent Republican Rep. David Valadao, who won his Central Valley seat in a Democratic-leaning district in 2024. After Prop. 50, it’s even more Democratic leaning, with additional communities in Fresno and Madera counties.

The change in the district’s voter registration comes on top of Valadao’s party-line vote last year for Trump’s megabill that slashed taxes for wealthy Americans and cut $1 trillion in Medicaid funding over the next 10 years.

According to CalMatters, “Valadao’s district has the highest Medicaid enrollment rate of any Republican seat in the country.”

His Democratic opponents, Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains and Randy Villegas, have hammered him on the issue.

District 40 is Southern California’s ruthlessly gerrymandered new district that pits Repubicans Calvert of Riverside County against Rep. Kim of Orange County.

According to Ballotpedia, the district is 10 percent more Republican than it used to be, with Calvert currently representing 51 percent of the new district and Kim 35 percent. Calvert is a Trump ally who has been in office for more than 30 years. Kim was elected to Congress in 2020, when she won in a more competitive district in purple Orange County.

In all, eight candidates are running in the district, including Democrats Francis Xavier Hoffman, Claude M. Keissieh, Joe Kerr, Esther Kim-Varet, Lisa Ramirez, and No Party Preference candidate Nina Linh.

District 48 doesn’t have an incumbent candidate after longtime Republican Rep. Darrell Issa decided to retire after his current term ends, rather than run for reelection in a district that now leans Democratic.

The new district covers parts of San Diego and Riverside counties, including Ramona, Escondido, Santee, Poway, Temecula, and Palm Springs.

In his announcement, Issa endorsed 48th Congressional District candidate Jim Desmond, a Republican who currently sits on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

"Jim is not only a personal friend, he’s a true patriot, a Navy veteran, a successful businessman, and has a 20-year record of public service," Issa said. "He understands this community, was born and raised here, and will make a terrific Congressman."

Desmond will have a fight on his hands in a district that went for Kamala Harris over President Donald Trump. He'll face 11 contenders, including Democrats Ammar Campa-Najjar, a Navy Reservist, and San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, as well as Abel Chavez, Stephen Clemons, Corinna Contreras, Ferguson Porter, Brandon Riker, Mike Schaefer, and Eric Shaw. Republican Kevin Patrick O'Neil and No Party Preference candidate Luis F. Reyna are also in the race.

How To Vote

• County elections officials must begin mailing out primary ballots by Monday, May 4, and ballot drop-off boxes will pop up statewide the next day.
• The last day to register to vote online for the primary election is May 18. After that, voters must complete same-day registration to vote in person at polling locations or county election offices.
• Early voting begins May 23 when vote centers open.
• Mail-in ballot: Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day. Those unsure if their ballot will make it in the mail in time can also bring their ballots to any polling location in the state or a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
• Traditional in-person voting: Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 2. Click here to find your polling location.