Foley leads Dixon in early OC supervisor returns

Newport Beach Assemblywoman Diane Dixon trailed incumbent Supervisor Katrina Foley in the race for Orange County's 5th District board seat as returns came in Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Foley held just under 54% of the vote to Dixon's 46% as of 10:30 p.m., a gap of about 10,000 votes, Voice of OC reported. The margin appeared to tighten. In a separate tally published after that snapshot, the OC Register reported Foley leading 51.90% to 48.10%.

The outcome will help determine partisan control of the five-member board, which oversees a $10.5 billion budget and 18,000 county employees, according to the OC Register. As we reported Nov. 2, the race drew heavy outside spending.

The 5th District includes Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, San Clemente, parts of Irvine and other south Orange County communities.

A tight and expensive race

Campaigns and outside groups spent more than $2 million on the contest, Voice of OC reported. Fewer than 300 votes separated the two candidates in the June primary, according to the OC Register.

Foley's campaign drew support from a coalition of labor unions. The Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, OC Employees Association and OC Firefighters Association collectively spent more than $1.8 million on ads supporting Foley and opposing Dixon, according to Voice of OC.

Dixon's backing came largely from the Lincoln Club, a conservative donor group, and a committee funded by oil companies. Those groups combined spent nearly $1 million on ads supporting Dixon and opposing Foley, Voice of OC reported.

Foley reacts to early lead

Foley told the OC Register her early lead reflected the positive campaign she ran focused on issues constituents care about and her policy accomplishments over four years, including coast protection and sand replenishment.

"I think that people see I'm someone who is here to do the work. I'm not a figurehead, I'm doing the actual work myself," Foley said on election night, according to the OC Register.

No public statement from Dixon or her campaign appeared in available reporting as of election night.

The candidates

Foley, a Democrat, became the first female Democrat elected to the board in a 2021 special election, according to the OC Register. She previously served 14 years on the Costa Mesa City Council, including as mayor, and four years on the Newport Mesa Unified School District Board of Trustees. She serves as vice chair of the Board of Supervisors.

Dixon, a Republican, represents District 72 in the California State Assembly, a seat she won in 2022. She is a former two-term Newport Beach council member and former mayor of Newport Beach, according to the OC Register.

The district has 37.6% registered Republicans compared to 32.8% registered Democrats and 22.3% no-party-preference voters, Voice of OC reported.