For the 30th Harry S. Truman Awards, the Democratic Party of Orange County is proud to announce a very special awardee to receive this year’s Harry S. Truman Award, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley. Few have served with as much distinction, courage, and resolve than Supervisor Foley, whose pioneering leadership, long record of achievement, and fierce commitment to our shared Democratic values spans over two decades.
First elected as a Costa Mesa City Councilmember in 2004 and re-elected in 2008 before running successfully for the Newport Mesa School Board in 2010, Foley’s early career put a focus on making local Orange County communities better for families. Foley was a leader in historic fights in Costa Mesa on behalf of city workers and helped ensure the defeat of GOP-led charter campaigns in 2012 and 2014. In 2018, she made history as Costa Mesa’s first directly elected woman mayor and was integral to ensuring the election of fellow Democrats following the city’s transition to by-district elections, sweeping in a Democratic Majority in Costa that oversaw balanced budgets, fully funded public safety personnel, and new parks and recreation opportunities across the city thanks to her leadership.
In 2021, Foley won a special election to the Board of Supervisors, another historic first for Democratic women in Orange County. Re-elected in 2022, she has focused on reducing homelessness, investing in sustainable infrastructure and climate resiliency, protecting our beaches, parks, and open spaces and supporting small businesses across the county.
For this un-matched and distinguished career of service – and for her unwavering and generous support as a mentor to local Democrats, the Democratic Party of Orange County is proud to bestow the Harry S. Truman Award to OC Supervisor Katrina Foley.