San Clemente Times November 10-16, 2022

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TOP NEWS SAN CLEMENTE SHOULD KNOW THIS WEEK

Community Honors Fred Swegles with Paddle-Out at Pier

BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO

The San Clemente community came out to the pier on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 6, to join family and close friends of the late Fred Swegles for a paddle-out honoring the beloved local newsman.

Swegles, 74, died peacefully in his sleep on Oct. 23, following months of health complications related to a diagnosed brain tumor.

Though it was Swegles’ wishes that his family not hold a formal memorial or Celebration of Life ceremony, community members and colleagues including Picket Fence Media publisher Norb Garrett and USA Surfing CEO Greg Cruse rallied to organize Sunday’s memorial paddle-out.

“I had the pleasure of having Fred work with us (San Clemente Times) for about the last five years—I tried to get him 20 years ago when we first started the paper, but he decided to stick with the Sun-Post at the time, which is fine,” Garrett said jokingly.

For more than 50 years, Swegles covered the town of San Clemente and some of the surrounding cities, reporting for the Daily Sun-Post and Orange County Register. In 2018, after the Register shuttered the Sun-Post and its other community weeklies, Swegles joined the San Clemente Times to launch his weekly CoastLines column.

Speaking on behalf of Swegles’ sisters Barbara Chamberlin and Valerie Mayer and brother Steve Swegles, Garrett expressed to the large crowd how appreciative the Swegles family was for the outpouring of support and appreciation for Fred.

“Fred loved you all, and he loved San Clemente. Being the humble guy that he was, he stated over and over in his will that he didn’t want any services—all of you who know Fred, that’s very Fred, very on brand,” Garrett said, reading from a letter from the Swegles family.

“He didn’t want the attention. He greatly appreciated all the letters, the cards, the emails and all the visits over the past several months,” Garrett continued to read, adding: “Those visits, those cards, those emails, they all brought smiles and sometimes teary eyes, and love and appreciation for you.”

Nearly 30 people participated in the paddle-out on the north side of the San Clemente Pier, while the rest of the crowd lined the structure overlooking the surfers. During the paddle-out, the surfers circled up, holding hands, to share stories and reminisce about Swegles.

To close out the ceremony, Swegles’ former bandmate Jim Summers performed a rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”—one of Swegles’ favorite songs.

“From the family, thank you so much for being here for Fred,” Garrett said.

About 30 people on surfboards circle up on the north side of the San Clemente Pier to reminisce and pay their respects to the late Fred Swegles, a beloved local newsman, during a paddle-out memorial on Sunday, Nov. 6. Photos: Alan Gibby COMMUNITY MEETINGS

SATURDAY, NOV. 12 Citizens’ Climate Education 10:45 a.m.-noon. This nonpartisan climate action group holds monthly meetings on the second Saturday of the month through Zoom video conferences. To receive a link to join, email larrykramerccl@gmail.com.

MONDAY, NOV. 14 San Clemente Homeless Collaborative 4 p.m. Participate in a discussion with existing community groups and citizens who are interested in finding solutions to the homeless issue in the area. There will be information, ideas, and effective conversation regarding unsheltered neighbors. Christ Lutheran Church, 35522 Camino Capistrano.

TUESDAY, NOV. 15 City Council 5 p.m. The San Clemente City Council will conduct its regularly scheduled meeting in person at the Council Chambers at City Hall, as well as virtually. The meeting will be livestreamed on the city’s YouTube channel. 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente. 949.361.8200. san-clemente.org.

Because I Love You (BILY) 6:30-8:30 p.m. The organization Because I Love You (BILY) will continue conducting its weekly meetings on Tuesdays via Zoom video conference and in person/Zoom the first Tuesday of each month at The Noble Path Foundation. For detailed instructions on how to participate, email bilysanclemente@gmail.com. Noble Path Foundation, 420 N El Camino Real, San Clemente.

San Clemente Toastmasters 7-8:40 p.m. Join the Toastmasters Club in person on the first and third Tuesday of the month at the Baha’i Center, at 3316 Avenida del Presidente. Visitors welcomed. Call or text Laura Yang at 949.547.6558 with questions. 6463.toastmastersclubs.org.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 16 Planning Commission 5-10 p.m. The city’s Planning Commission will conduct its regularly scheduled meeting at the Council Chambers at City Hall. The meeting will be livestreamed through the city’s YouTube channel. 910 Calle Negocio. 949.361.8200. san-clemente.org.

Council Takes Initial Step in Redirecting Portion of TOT Revenue Toward Pension Liability Reduction

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

A proposed plan help pay down the city’s unfunded pension liability by using 33% of the city’s tax revenue from local hotel stays took a step forward last week.

In a 3-2 vote, the council directed staff to come back and present the information necessary to vote on changing the city’s Fiscal Policy, which prevents General Fund revenue such as TOT from directly funding a specific expenditure line item.

Mayor Pro Tem Chris Duncan and Councilmember Kathy Ward opposed the motion.

“If we don’t address this pension liability immediately, pretty soon, we’re going to look like the federal government,” Mayor Gene James said of the city’s nearly $50 million liability. “And that is, our debt is going to exceed our budget.”

James’ initial motion to initiate a policy change and direct staff to spend one out of three dollars from TOT revenue on pension reduction failed without Councilmember Laura Ferguson’s presence during the agenda item.

Councilmember Steve Knoblock was James’ only support in the 2-2 stalemate, which resulted in no action. However, after Councilmember Laura Ferguson arrived, Knoblock brought back the discussion, allowing the council to vote on the matter again.

SCHS Students Hope to Sell Shirts to Fund Suicide Prevention Resources

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

Through a tragic yet lasting family connection, a pair of San Clemente High School students hope to raise awareness of youth suicide and prevention efforts at their school and beyond.

Owen Durney and Nick Favero have brought Dolphin Street, an organization that began in New Jersey about six years ago as a collective of touched families, to San Clemente High with the intent of bringing speakers to schools with organizational chapters.

The two high school students are looking to raise funds by selling shirts with a graphic designed around an illustration done by Dolphin Street’s inspiration.

“We want somewhere where we can have support for stuff like this, because there’s honestly not that much support at our school,” Favero said of having suicide prevention resources in reach. “We just want to create a community where you can feel free to talk to people about how you feel and feel supported within the community and within our club.”

Dolphin Street takes its name from a street in Australia where Durney’s father, Matt Durney, lived with a close friend, Duke Barisonek, in the 1990s.

The elder Durney began the organization with other New Jersey families after Barisonek, an artist and avid extreme sports enthusiast on land and in the water, committed suicide in 1996 as a senior in college.

Once the Durney family moved to Southern California around 2019, the collective grew to have Google Meet events and developed a desire to bring awareness to more people. The current fall semester is the first instance of Dolphin Street as a high school club, according to Owen.

“We actually have a couple of other kids from different schools joining in on this,” he said. “Basically, what we want to do is have a club and then have it be carried on by other students, because this is my final year at the high school. I have a couple of underclassman friends who will hopefully take over the project and keep it going for years to come.”

Matt expressed that the teenagers are actively working to get more children involved from various schools around the San Clemente area, New Jersey, and Georgia, from where Favero moved.

Another goal is to coordinate a fundraising walk for suicide prevention in the spring that would happen around the country, but be hosted by a different

Knoblock had agendized the council’s discussion of how to use the city’s $3 million budgeted in Fiscal Year 20222023 revenue from TOT collections—a rate of 10% on all overnight lodging stays within the city.

TOT revenues are currently considered general taxes to spend at the council’s discretion, and indirectly fund costs related to seasonal tourism such as police services and overtime, seasonal lifeguard staffing, and trolley operations.

Knoblock said his initial idea was to direct city staff to increase tourism revenue by allocating a portion of TOT funds toward attracting more visitors, before realizing he’d rather spend the revenue on paying down the city’s pension liability.

“I wanted this to be a discussion of how we do it, what we do, and why we do it,” said Knoblock. “I’m kind of changing my direction a little bit from an advertising campaign, per se, to focusing on pension reduction.”

While Duncan recognized the importance of paying down debt, he said he did not favor “hamstringing” the council’s flexibility to send General Fund money wherever necessary. He added that discussions of earmarking funds should be done during the usual, holistic budgeting process.

Ward mentioned the city’s stance on tourism as listed within the General Plan, and that city efforts centered more on addressing and maintaining quality-of-life issues enough to where outsiders recognized San Clemente as an enjoyable place to visit.

“I would be against trying to reconstitute anything that hasn’t already been talked about in the four years (prior) of how we do economic development,” Ward said. “We’re supposed to be focusing on our action sports industry and things like that, but we aren’t supposed to be focusing on tourism, per se.”

She added that she wouldn’t support diverting funds from the TOT resources that support emergency services, which are especially crucial during the high-occupancy summer months.

Instead of moving all $3 million to address the pension liability, Mayor Gene James favored establishing a year-overyear practice.

“I don’t think it’s unreasonable to come up with a policy to take at least one out of three of those (TOT) dollars and put them into paying down our $50 million unfunded liability,” James said.

Financial Services Officer Jake Rahn confirmed Ward’s assumption that such a policy discussion would be held during the upcoming annual Long Term Financial Plan update around February 2023.

However, James felt the issue was urgent enough to address immediately and explained to the audience that the city would be more at risk if its liability grew. Given the liability’s connection to the stock market that has dropped about 20% in 2022, the liability could increase by that same figure, according to James.

With that, James motioned to direct staff to allocate a third of the TOT revenue toward paying down the city’s pension liability. Ward issued a substitute motion against earmarking TOT funds, stating that the pension issue was not the main focus of their discussion, which unfairly didn’t allow staff to properly prepare the council.

“We don’t have any totals in front of us; we have no idea what we’re voting on (or) how it’s going to affect anything down the line,” she said, adding: “We can’t make an educated vote on this, because it’s not before us.”

Ward’s motion failed by resulting in a draw, with Duncan voting with her and James and Knoblock opposed.

In a pointed effort to reduce San Clemente’s unfunded pension liability, Mayor Gene James’ motion to start the process toward spending 33% of revenue from visitors on a pension pay-down was approved by the City Council on Nov 1. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

local school each year.

To establish how Dolphin Street would print its shirts, the parents guided their children through comparing screen printers and determining how much it would cost to print 250, 500, or as many as 2,000 units.

The organization has already started taking orders and anticipates that it will continue to field orders until around mid-November, with the intention of shipping out their products in early December.

Each shirt costs $31 and comes in various colors, and donations can also be made through Venmo.

“What the project is really about is giving high schoolers and younger (children) a chance to be a part of something really cool,” Owen said in an email. “Hopefully, setting up clubs at schools will give at least one kid a path for help.”

More information can be found at dolphinst.org.

Donning a face mask at the Farmers Market in March 2020, San Clemente resident Peter Hegedus looks to complete his purchase of foods from the A.B.C. Farms table. The weekly Farmers Market is expected to return to the sidewalk along Avenida Del Mar by November’s end. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

Sunday Farmers Market to Return to Del Mar

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

As the City of San Clemente moves further away from the peak stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the weekly Sunday Farmers Market in downtown will be transitioned back to the sidewalk along Avenida Del Mar.

At the recommendation of San Clemente city staff, the farmers market is expected to return to the 200 block of Avenida Del Mar by the month’s end, after more than two and half years of operating at the shared parking lot of the San Clemente Community Center and public library.

“I’m happy to see it go back to Del Mar for the visibility and success of all the vendors,” said Councilmember Laura Ferguson during the City Council’s Nov. 1 meeting.

City staff and market operator Rick Heill initially moved the weekly market into the Community Center parking lot to reduce close contact, monitor attendance, and meet the California Department of Public Health’s guidelines at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

The use of outdoor dining decks on Del Mar into 2021 prevented the market from being able to use its full footprint, until Mayor Gene James advocated for staff to review returning the market to Del Mar in September.

The market may still use the upper portion of the shared parking lot, if necessary, to accommodate vendors, as two outdoor dining decks on Del Mar reduce the amount of street space available.

“I appreciate (that) you took into account circulation for the sidewalks and all of that, so I’m pleased that you figured out a way that it could happen,” Councilmember Kathy Ward told Samantha Wylie, director of the city’s Beaches, Parks & Recreation Department.

Staff recommended that the market return to Del Mar no later than Sunday, Nov. 20, according to the staff report.

Supervisor Bartlett Sponsoring Pet Adoptions Through November

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

Through the month of November, Orange County Board Supervisor Lisa Bartlett will sponsor pet adoptions at the Orange County Animal Care shelter.

Pet adoption fees will be waived and vaccination, antiparasitic treatment, spay/neuter and microchip fees will be covered, according to Bartlett’s office. Residents adopting pets will also receive a starter bag of pet food while supplies last and a certificate for a free vet exam.

“As an animal lover and proud owner of my cat, Misha, who I adopted from OC Animal Care, I strongly encourage anyone thinking of adding a four-legged friend to their family, to take advantage of this amazing opportunity,” said Bartlett, who represents the county’s Fifth District, including the cities of Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. “We need to clear our shelter and find these pets their forever home,” Bartlett added in a press release.

The OC Animal Shelter is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and until 7 p.m. on Wednesdays. Adoption hours are open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Though walk-ins are welcome, OC Animal Care staff members recommend booking an appointment.

Bartlett will also sponsor a “Family ‘Fur-st’ Drive Thru Pet Food Pantry,” with free dog, cat, rabbit and bird food while supplies last. Pet owners will also receive a free collapsible water bowl.

The food pantry will run from 8-10 a.m. on Nov. 12 at OC Animal Care, located at 1630 Victoria Road, Tustin.

More info can be found at ocpetinfo.com. To book an appointment at the OC Animal Shelter, call 714.935.6848.

Limited Weekend Service to SJC, SC Resumes

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

Metrolink passengers may resume limited weekend access to San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente via the Orange County and Inland Empire-Orange County lines, the rail agency recently announced.

The lines began traveling to and from the San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente and San Clemente Pier stations on modified schedules starting on Oct. 29, although all service connections to the Oceanside station remain suspended.

“Metrolink service Monday through Friday remains suspended at all stations south of the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Station,” the agency said in its announcement. “This is due to the higher volume of train traffic along this single-track route on weekdays, compared to weekends, making it challenging to provide service without significant delays.”

Commuter services between the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo station and the Oceanside station have been suspended since late September, when movement of the railroad tracks in south San Clemente was reported following a storm surge that hit Southern California.

More than 20,000 tons of riprap have been placed along the area since September 2021 to try to halt continuous shifting of the track, which sits at the bottom of a bluff that happens to be an ancient landslide.

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) announced on Oct. 14 that it had finalized a contract to work with a geotechnical firm tasked with stabilizing the railroad track through southern San Clemente. The emergency work on the affected hillside is expected to begin soon.

The OCTA Board of Directors authorized plans to begin the $12 million stabilization project on Oct. 3.

The transportation agency has stated that it intends to complete the work in an approximately 90-day phase, and that all passenger rail services could be continued as soon as mid-December, or mid-January, when construction is expected to end.

“Project engineers and geotechnical experts will continually monitor the slope next to the track during construction,” a release from OCTA read. “In partnership with all rail agencies, a decision will be made when to safely resume passenger rail service.”

Additionally, the schedules for Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Trains 770, 774 and 784 were adjusted to extend to San Juan Capistrano effective on Monday, Oct. 31.

Visit metrolinktrains.com for additional information.

Davies Jumps Ahead of Duncan in Race for 74th Assembly Seat

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

In the race to represent California’s 74th Assembly District, Republican incumbent Laurie Davies is leading against her Democratic opponent, San Clemente Mayor Pro Tem Chris Duncan.

As of early Wednesday morning, Nov. 9, unofficial results from the California Secretary of State showed Davies taking the lead with 54.2% (57,603) of the votes, while Duncan reportedly had 45.8% (48,761) of the votes.

“I feel so grateful, because it looks obviously that I’ve taken this seat, and I’m so grateful that I have the opportunity to serve for another two years,” Davies

Laurie Davies.

said on Wednesday morning. “There’s so much that we can do, working across the aisle, a lot of good for this state. So, that’s what I’m really excited about.”

Davies added that she’s looking forward to continuing her work on battling the illicit use of fentanyl and those who deal the drug. She also hopes to see an audit of state programs to ensure taxpayer dollars are well spent.

“We have so much of our taxpayer dollars going towards homelessness, going towards these other programs, but we’re not seeing any results,” Davies said. “We need to sit down and really look at where these programs are … review them, if they’re working, great; if not, then we need to let them go so that we can make sure that every tax dollar is being counted and used positively.”

During her first term representing the Assembly district, Davies prided herself on her level of communication with her constituents.

“I made it an important point to make sure that folks that I represented knew what was going on at the state level; they knew what bills were going up there, they knew where I was going to vote, they understood how this was going to affect their safety, their businesses, schools, things like that,” Davies said.

Unofficial results late Tuesday night initially showed Duncan ahead of Davies. However, speaking with San Clemente Times that evening, she noted that during the Primary Election, polls had shown Duncan initially leading that race as well, but by the following morning, the tides had turned in her favor.

At the time he was leading on Tuesday, Duncan said he was “feeling cautiously optimistic.”

“This is uncertain as to how the votes are going to come in, so we’re still waiting to see the next batch of votes,” he said.

Wednesday morning, Duncan said it was too early to discuss plans after the election should Davies win, but added, “I will certainly be active, involved in our community here and continuing to help improve people’s lives.”

“I’m very grateful for all of our supporters for putting us in this position to be so close and feeling great about our campaign,” Duncan continued. “We are trailing, but there’s a lot of ballots out there still.”

Based on campaign finance filings, or 460 Forms, with the California Secretary of State’s office—which covered all contributions and campaign expenditures up until Oct. 22—Duncan had raised about $517,450, slightly more than Davies’ $511,149.

As of late October, Duncan had outspent Davies by roughly $87,000. On their respective 460 forms, Duncan reported spending roughly $629,000 on his campaign, while Davies spent roughly $542,000.

The California Secretary of State is scheduled to certify the results from across the state by Dec. 16. SC

Early State Senate Election Results: Nguyen Commands Sizeable Lead; Blakespear Faces Tighter Race Against Gunderson

BY COLLIN BREAUX

Based on early results from the Tuesday, Nov. 8, election, representation in the California State Senate for the tri-city area of San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano may either be split between a Republican and Democrat or totally under the GOP.

Republican Janet Nguyen came out ahead for District 36, which represents San Clemente and Dana Point, with 58% (128,680) of the votes. Democrat Catherine Blakespear, meanwhile, faces a tight race in District 38—which covers San Juan Capistrano and unincorporated Rancho Mission Viejo—with 50.3% (107,702) of votes.

Blakespear is currently the Encinitas mayor, while Nguyen is a state assemblymember. Democrat Kim Carr challenged Nguyen in District 36, while Republican Matt Gunderson ran against Blakespear in District 38.

“Right now, I’m only about 1,000 votes ahead of my opponent,” Blakespear said in a campaign email sent on Wednesday morning, Nov. 9. “Over 200,000 votes have been counted in the State Senate race so far, and anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000 ballots are expected to be counted in the coming weeks. So, until we have a clearer picture, this race is still too close to call.”

In an earlier statement sent on Tuesday night, shortly after early results came in, Blakespear said she had a lead “we feel very comfortable with.”

“We always knew this would be a close election, so it’s imperative that everyone who braved the weather and made it to the polls has their voice heard,” Blakespear said, referring to the storm surge that hit Southern California on Election Day. “We expect that when all the votes are counted, we will be victorious.”

Supporting women’s reproductive rights and protecting communities from gun violence were parts of Blakespear’s platform. She also said she would champion small businesses, protect California’s natural resources,

(Left) Janet Nguyen. (Right) Catherine Blakespear.

and ensure a clean, reliable water supply for the state.

Kevin Sabellico, Blakespear’s campaign manager, said on Tuesday night that she was hopeful that when all the ballots were counted, she will be elected to the California State Senate.

“Our campaign will have a robust voter protection team ready (Wednesday) to make sure every legally cast ballot gets counted,” Sabellico said.

Gunderson had 49.7% (106,551) of votes as of Wednesday morning. He and his campaign had called the election a “very close race” and said they were “closely monitoring the results” as they came in.

“I feel confident that the results will go our way when the counting is through,” Gunderson said.

He further said he was “honored” to have received so much support from family, friends and “the thousands of Californians who trusted me with their vote.”

“I will continue to advocate for an affordable, safe and golden California,” Gunderson said.

Gunderson was an auto industry business owner and said one of the reasons he ran was because of Californians facing issues with the cost of living. Addressing homelessness through solutions that examine individual-level causes of the issue and returning economic opportunities back to the middle class were part of his platform.

Nguyen and Carr had not responded to requests for comment, as of press time.

As an assemblymember, Nguyen touted her experience with helping pass legislation to expand health care for the homeless, mentally ill and for lower-income families. She also highlighted efforts to stop tax increases and write bipartisan legislation to increase a renters’ tax credit to help families deal with the high cost of living.

Carr has been on the Huntington Beach City Council since 2018 and emphasized her efforts to respond to the 2021 oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach.

If elected, Carr said she would fight inflation by fixing supply chains and cutting red tape for local businesses, reduce homelessness by increasing mental health and housing support, and defend reproductive freedom and the right of all people to control their bodies. SC

Early Election Results Show Levin with Narrow Lead in Congressional Rematch

BY C. JAYDEN SMITH

In the follow-up of the 2020 battle to represent California’s 49th Congressional District in the House of Representatives, incumbent Democrat Mike Levin appeared poised to hold on to the seat, but in a much tighter race compared to his previous matchup against Republican challenger Brian Maryott.

As of early Wednesday morning, Nov. 9, Levin had received 51% (89,204) of the votes, holding a 2% lead over Maryott (85,560), a former San Juan Capistrano councilmember, according to the Secretary of State’s office.

Levin’s lead was much greater in San Diego County’s portion of the district, where he had earned 55.6% (59,655) of voters. As for the Orange County side of the 49th, Maryott was the clear favorite, owning about a 12% advantage by earning 56.2% (37,972) of the votes.

The 49th District includes the cities of Carlsbad, Dana Point, Encinitas, Laguna Niguel, Oceanside, San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, and Vista, among other locations in South Orange County, and North San Diego County.

Levin and Maryott had faced each other for the seat in 2020, when Levin won the district with 53.1% of the vote.

Levin, who has held office for backto-back two-year terms, has expressed support for women’s reproductive rights, such as the ability to choose to have an abortion, keeping taxpayer dollars away from private schools, and supporting law enforcement.

Mike Levin.

Maryott, a longtime businessman, has expressed support for school choice, fully funding police officers and strict sentencing of lawbreakers, as well as securing the border by funding border enforcement.

In an emailed statement late Tuesday night, Maryott’s camp maintained that voters were ready to move on from Levin as their representative.

“We are certainly optimistic, and this is exactly what we expected to see,” the spokesperson wrote while Levin, at the time, held a double-digit lead, adding: “It may take a few days, but when the dust settles, we expect that the voters of (the 49th District) will send a financial planner to Congress.”

In the Primary Election held this past June to determine who would make it onto the ballot for the Nov. 8 General Election, Levin carried the district race, earning 92,211 votes, or 48.9%, with Maryott leading a contested vote among Republicans by receiving 35,805, or 19% of all voters.

According to the OC Registrar of Voters, 42.6% of Orange County voters chose Levin during the Primary, while Maryott narrowly beat out Fifth District Supervisor Lisa Bartlett by three votes to earn a spot on Tuesday’s ballot.

Levin’s campaign had not beeen reached for comment as of press time.

Election results will be updated throughout the canvass period, according to the Secretary of State’s website, and county elections officials must report their final results by Dec. 9. Next, the Secretary of State will put together the results to certify by Dec. 16. SC

Foley Maintaining Lead in 5th District Supervisor Race, with Bates Closing Gap

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

Early election results had Democratic incumbent Katrina Foley leading against her Republican opponent, State Sen. Patricia Bates, in the tight race to represent Orange County’s 5th Supervisorial District.

Unofficial results from the Orange County Registrar of Voters as of early Wednesday morning, Nov. 9, showed Foley with 50.93% (75,327) of the votes, while Bates, a former board supervisor, had 49.07% (72,583) of the votes.

“I’m so grateful to my community of volunteers and the coalition of unlikely allies that I brought together to be able to show Orange County that we can really lead and represent all residents,” Foley said late Tuesday night, when she led by a wider margin.

The race tightened as the votes continued to be counted through Election Night and the following morning, with unofficial results earlier in the evening showing Foley ahead of Bates with 56.63% of the vote, putting Bates at 43.37%.

The Orange County Registrar of Voters was scheduled to post updated results on Wednesday afternoon, after San Clemente Times went to print. Updates to this story and the SC Times’ ongoing coverage of other local Midterm Elections will continue to be posted online.

Anticipating a win, Foley said that South Orange County residents are going to “have a representative that’s very active and responsive and is going to immediately drill down on some of the lingering issues that I know have been trouble for the community.”

Katrina Foley. Photo: File

Looking forward to a potential second term representing South Orange County, Foley highlighted coastal erosion—namely, its effects on the railroad tracks—fire mitigation and issues related to homelessness as main topics on which she’d like to focus.

As of press time, Bates had not responded to requests for comment.

In the lead-up to the race, Foley and Bates had cumulatively spent $1.35 million in the race for the District 5 seat.

In the race for the District 4 seat between Sunny Park and incumbent Board Supervisor Doug Chaffee, the two collectively had spent more than $1.62 million, while candidates in the District 2 race—Vicente Sarmiento and Kim Bernice Nguyen—collectively had spent $474,405.

Based on the latest campaign finance filings, or 460 Forms, with the California Secretary of State’s office— which covered all contributions and campaign expenditures up until Oct. 22—Bates had raised about $688,607, slightly more than Foley’s $665,695.

As of late October, Foley had outspent Bates by roughly $76,000. On their respective 460 forms, Foley reported spending roughly $734,908 on her campaign, while Bates spent roughly $658,958.

County elections officials across the state are expected to certify all election results by Dec. 8. SC