Santa Ana Council Majority Shifts as Progressive Candidates Take Early Leads

Election night results in Santa Ana indicate that progressive candidates are on the verge of seizing control of the city council, a shift that would leave Mayor Valerie Amezcua without a reliable voting bloc among her colleagues. As of Wednesday evening, the Orange County Registrar of Voters reported that three of the four candidates backed by the Santa Ana Police Officers Association were trailing their opponents.

In Ward 4, Sandra De Anda, an immigrant rights advocate, held a lead over seven-year incumbent Phil Bacerra. De Anda had approximately 54% of the vote compared to Bacerra’s 46%, a margin of 612 votes out of more than 8,400 tallied. Progressive group OC Action spent over $16,000 supporting De Anda’s campaign, while the police union provided heavy financial backing to Bacerra.

Isuri Ramos, the Planning Commission Chair and executive director of Chispa, led attorney Giovanni Chavez in Ward 6. Ramos secured about 54% of the vote against Chavez’s 46%, a difference exceeding 400 votes among the 5,700 ballots counted. The winner of this race will replace Councilman David Penaloza, who is running for State Assembly. OC Action spent over $6,200 on Ramos’s campaign.

Ben Vazquez maintained a commanding lead in Ward 2 with roughly 72% of the vote against Selica Diaz, who had 28%. Diaz received substantial support from the police union, while the California Working Families Political Action Committee spent nearly $10,000 supporting Vazquez. If these results hold, Vazquez would join De Anda and Ramos to form a new progressive majority with Councilman Johnathan Hernandez.

The potential shift places the council in a new dynamic amid ongoing scrutiny of police practices and city management. Recent events include a viral video of the violent arrest of resident Florentino Lopez and the detention of two immigrant advocates observing ICE agents. The police union spent over $240,000 on mailers and ads supporting Amezcua, Bacerra, Chavez, and Diaz, and about $33,000 opposing Vazquez and Ramos, according to spending reports through Oct. 24.

Amezcua remained ahead in the mayoral race but saw her lead shrink. She held about 46% of the 43,900 votes counted by 5 p.m. Wednesday, while challenger Dan Shimell trailed with 41%. Dwayne Shipp, a city commissioner, received nearly 14% of the vote. Union President John Kachirisky stated in an email that the association respects the will of voters and intends to work with the incoming council to advocate for police officers and non-sworn employees.

Voters also decided on Measure N, an initiative to indefinitely maintain a 1.5% sales tax increase that was scheduled to decrease before ending in 2039. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, about 67% of the more than 45,400 votes counted favored the measure. The city faces a structural deficit, a financial challenge that current officials hope the measure will help mitigate.