Republican state Assembly Member Diane Dixon and Democratic incumbent Katrina Foley are competing for the Orange County Board of Supervisors District 5 seat on Nov. 3.

The race carries high stakes for Newport Beach residents. District 5 stretches along the southern coast and includes Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, San Clemente and several other cities, according to LAist's voter guide. The winner will help oversee roughly $11 billion in annual county spending on services including the sheriff's department, disaster response and public health.

Control of the five-member board hangs in the balance. Democrats hold a 3-2 majority they first won in 2022. Both the District 4 and District 5 seats are held by Democrats, and the outcome of those races could shift the board's direction, LAist reported.

The candidates

Katrina Foley is a Democrat, attorney and current vice chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. A former Costa Mesa school board member, council member and mayor, she first joined the county board after winning a District 2 special election in 2021. Following redistricting, she won the District 5 seat in November 2022, helping Democrats secure their first board majority in nearly 50 years.

Foley told LAist her main goal if reelected would be to develop an economic plan to reduce the county's dependence on state and federal funding. Her campaign said via a LAist candidate survey that her focus includes cutting red tape, expanding housing and supporting small businesses.

Diane Dixon is a Republican and a former Newport Beach council member and mayor. She has represented Assembly District 72 since 2022. That district overlaps significantly with the supervisors' District 5. Before entering politics, Dixon was a communications executive at Avery Dennison. She is a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in Sacramento, according to LAist.

LAist reported that Dixon did not respond to the outlet's requests for an interview or candidate survey.

A tight primary

Foley and Dixon advanced from the June 2 primary to a November runoff after neither received a majority. Although Dixon led in early returns, Foley ultimately finished first, according to LAist’s updated voter guide.

The district leans conservative. Republicans hold a roughly five-percentage-point registration advantage over Democrats, with 37.7% Republican and 32.7% Democrat, according to LAist. Another 29.4% are registered with no party preference or a minor party.

Key issues

The next District 5 supervisor will oversee the Dana Point Harbor revitalization project, a county-owned renovation that includes a refurbished marina, two new hotels and new commercial space, LAist reported.

Coastal erosion is another flashpoint. Both candidates told Voice of OC they would prioritize sand replenishment and securing state and federal funding for beach restoration. The candidates also split on the Prima Deshecha Landfill. Dixon said she opposes doubling the amount of trash going into the landfill and criticized Foley for voting to expand its physical capacity. Foley said she opposes landfill expansion and is focused on waste reduction, according to Voice of OC.

The county also faces federal funding cuts, a civil lawsuit tied to former Supervisor Andrew Do's conviction, and an ongoing legal dispute with mental health partner Mind OC, according to LAist.

How to vote and track results

Vote centers across Orange County are open through Election Day. On Nov. 3, all 192 vote centers open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m., according to the Orange County Register. Voters can find the nearest location at ocvote.gov.

The registrar's office will post the first early voting results at 8:05 p.m. on Nov. 3 at ocvote.gov, with updates every 30 minutes after 9:30 p.m., the Register reported.