It’s over and Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley is now Supervisor Katrina Foley. For those keeping score, here’s our list of winners and losers as a result of this race. Feel free to post your own in the comments.
WINNERS
Obviously Foley is a winner here, having won because she had the best network already in place as a result of her re-election as Costa Mesa Mayor and she had the best message of all the candidates. She worked hard for every vote and took nothing for granted. This blog made no secret that our preference for State Senate was Dave Min when she challenged him in 2019-2020, but when Min came out ahead, Foley got behind him to beat then State Senator John Moorlach. She did the Party a solid and it showed her integrity; something she’ll bring with her every day she serves as a County Supervisor. Thank you Ms. Foley.
Ada Briceno and the DPOC are winners for having a united front and an exceptional organized effort at turning out the vote. Her leadership is exactly what was needed after losing two Congressional seats in November. Briceno made sure the party didn’t wallow in despair and made everyone focus. The results last night are proof that OC Democrats have a leader we can rally around. And a leader that wins.
Harley Rouda, Katie Porter, Mike Levin and OC’s Congressional delegation who backed Foley by keeping volunteers engaged and focused are winners too. Our 2022 Congressional efforts will be even stronger because of this momentum, and teamwork.
Public employee unions are winners for putting in the time, money, and volunteers to get the vote out. These workers are on the front lines of a pandemic with little support from the current BoS; their support of Foley makes them winners. And the public benefits from their work during COVID19. Thank you.
LOSERS
John Moorlach lost this race after his byline article two Sundays ago in the OC Register’s opinion section where he wrote “March 9 when I’m elected to the Board of Supervisors.” When? His arrogance has cost him not one but two elections in less than five months. His support of disgraced ex-President Donald Trump’s economic policies didn’t help with voters post-insurrection (did Moorlach ever condemn that?). And comments Moorlach made about COVID19 bit him in the butt after he contracted the virus himself (and there’s his excuse for losing, not his horrible message). Happy retirement John; enjoy your very generous pensions.
Fred Whitaker, OC GOP Chair, is a loser for failing to keep two other viable Republicans out of the race or for backing the wrong horse. Its easy to say, Republicans got more than 50 percent of the vote. The reality is Moorlach got a little over 30 percent of the vote. OC Republicans who pat Whitaker on the back for flipping two Congressional seats in November are really placing “Kick me” signs there now.
The Orange County Register’s Opinion Desk is also a loser. It’s the 2020s not the 1950s. The Register’s opinion section gave so much space to promoting Moorlach’s candidacy that Moorlach ought to put them down for non-monetary political contributions. The news desk did a good and fair job covering the election. The Opinion desk needs to recognize the County is purple, not red and being 90 percent all about Republicans and Conservatives is a major reason why people don’t subscribe. They won’t.