In the ongoing vote-counting race for the Orange County city council elections featuring Korean American candidates, Orange County elections have brought a promising green light to Andrew Kim in La Palma.
Helen Reh in Cypress has also reclaimed the lead, maintaining a positive momentum. On the other hand, John Park in Irvine has lost his first-place position, with the gap widening against his opponent.
Political newcomer Andrew Kim, 31, is facing off against incumbent Mayor Nitesh Patel in District 2. Right after the election on the 3rd, Kim surged into first place, leading Mayor Patel by 46 votes. As of 4:00 PM on the 10th, he continues to lead by a narrow 45-vote margin in the Orange County Registrar of Voters’ unofficial tally.
While the race is still ongoing and the vote margin remains small, premature conclusions about Kim’s victory cannot be made. However, the trend of Kim maintaining the top spot without losing it even once, while keeping a lead of over 40 votes, is certainly encouraging.
To gauge Kim’s chances of winning, it is crucial to see how many ballots are left to be counted. According to the OC Registrar of Voters website, 1,060,431 ballots had been counted as of 4:00 PM on the 10th, with 116,660 ballots remaining to be processed. Combining these two figures, the final OC voter turnout is projected to be around 61.4%.
District 2, which implemented district-based elections for the first time this year, has 2,142 registered voters. As of the 10th, Kim has received 575 votes, while Patel has received 530, bringing the total counted ballots to 1,105. Assuming the district turnout mirrors the overall OC turnout, the estimated remaining uncounted ballots are 210. Having few remaining uncounted votes is a favorable situation for Kim, who is currently ahead. A lower turnout in District 2 compared to the 61.4% overall average would result in fewer uncounted ballots, further aiding Kim in maintaining his lead.
Helen Reh, running for Cypress District 2, initially took the lead by 33 votes during the first count on the 3rd, but fell behind City Councilwoman Bonnie Peat by 17 votes on the 4th. Engaging in a fierce chase, Reh successfully turned the tables and led by 32 votes as of 4:00 PM on the 10th.
There are 5,274 registered voters in Cypress District 2, with 2,158 ballots fully counted. Assuming a final turnout of 61.4%, the uncounted ballots amount to 1,080. Since Reh’s lead is a mere 32 votes, it is still too early to call a definitive victory.
In Irvine District 1, John Park trailed Councilwoman Melinda Liu by 198 votes in the initial count on the 3rd, but successfully staged a comeback on the 4th with a 120-vote lead. Although he maintained a 98-vote advantage through the 5th, he lost the top spot on the 6th by 43 votes. Councilwoman Liu has since widened her margin, with the vote gap reaching 221 votes as of the 10th.
District 1 has 28,993 registered voters, with 13,197 ballots fully counted. Assuming a final turnout of 61.4%, approximately 4,604 ballots remain to be processed. While it is still premature to determine the winner, Councilwoman Liu’s expanding lead is a trend that cannot be ignored.
