Election 2024: Two Huntington Beach measures trending toward victory, tight divide on third

Early results indicate Huntington Beach voters approving two of three controversial measures floated in Huntington Beach on Super Tuesday, according to figures released Wednesday evening by the Orange County Registrar of Voters Office.

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, 38,000 Huntington Beach votes had been tabulated. Measure A, which would require voter identification at the polls, appeared to be losing when the first wave of results was announced just after 8 p.m. Tuesday, but the tide turned later that night to about 54.2% votes in favor of the measure. By Wednesday evening that lead had dropped slightly to 54.1%.

Voters also appeared to be siding with the conservative majority of the City Council on Measure B, which would codify the city’s flag ordinance into its charter, limiting the flying of flags on city property to government and POW/MIA flags and the six flags of the U.S. military and requiring unanimous City Council approval for the flying of any new flags. The measure maintained its early lead, growing from an initially reported 51.3% to to 58.2% by Wednesday evening.

As of the latest numbers, about 52.6% of the voters had rejected Measure C, which would transition the city into a two-year budget cycle, update the processes to fill a council vacancy and allow the mayor to unilaterally cancel a meeting.

Discussion and debate over the much-contested measures have gone on for months as conservatives have argued for the necessity of the changes to the city’s charter, partially to instill confidence in election results. Opponents of the ballot measures say they are costly and ineffectual.

Final results will not be known for days as all mail-in ballots postmarked on or by Tuesday must be counted.

About 1.8 million people are registered to vote in Orange County. The Daily Pilot is also watching other local races for state seats representing Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach and Newport Beach.

In the race for the 45th Congressional District, which includes Garden Grove, Westminster, Cerritos, Fountain Valley, Buena Park, Fullerton, Placentia and Brea, incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel, a Republican, is leading the pack of Democrats seeking to unseat her. Steel currently has about 57.8% of the votes and is followed by Derek Tran with roughly 16% of the votes. Kim Nguyen-Penaloza, Cheyenne Hunt and Aditya Pai trail behind, respectively.

Republican Scott Baugh is leading with 33.1% of the votes in the 47th Congressional District, which represents Irvine, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. The seat is sought after by all newcomers, as Rep. Katie Porter, a Democrat, vacated the role in hopes of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate. Baugh is closely followed by state Assemblyman Dave Min, a Democrat, with 25.6% of the votes. An early gap between Democrat Joanna Weiss and Min widened by Wednesday, as Weiss trails behind with 18.9% of the votes. Far behind in the field are candidates Max Ukropina, Long Pham, Terry Crandall, Boyd Roberts, Tom McGrath, Bill Smith and Shariq Zaidi, in respective order.

The race in the 72nd State Assembly District, which includes Aliso Viejo, Lake Forest, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods and Seal Beach, is led by incumbent Diane Dixon, a Republican, with 61.3% of the votes, while Democrat Dom Jones trails with 38.7% of the votes.

In the race for the 73rd State Assembly District, which includes Costa Mesa, Irvine and Tustin, state Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, a Democrat, had captured 27,042 votes by Wednesday. She was trailed by two Republican candidates, Scotty Peotter and Hengameh Abraham, who had received 16,052 and 7,010 of the counted votes, respectively.