Santa Ana Mayor Amezcua Leads Re-election Bid Amid Tight Council Races
Progressive challengers are poised to secure a majority on the city council, leaving the incumbent mayor as the sole conservative official if current trends hold.
By Grace Sullivan ·
Santa Ana voters cast decisive ballots in Tuesday’s elections, determining the leadership composition for the city and its surrounding districts. The results reflect a shifting political balance in Orange County, where more than 1.9 million residents are registered to vote. As of Wednesday, officials had processed over 900,000 ballots, with 78% cast by mail and 20.3% in person.
Valerie Amezcua, the current mayor, is leading the race for re-election after four years in office. Her campaign faced scrutiny over alleged connections to the Santa Ana Police Department and the administration's response to recent immigration raids. Despite these controversies, Amezcua holds a 45.57% share of the vote, narrowly ahead of her closest rival, attorney Dan Shimell, who has 40.62%.
Shimell and fellow candidate Dwayne Shipp ran as challengers against the incumbent. The tight margin suggests a close contest, but Amezcua remains in the lead with a four-point advantage. Residents in the Santa Ana area, which has been heavily impacted by federal immigration enforcement, sought representatives who would actively defend their communities against aggressive policies from the Trump administration.
In the District 4 council race, first-time candidate Sandra De Anda is leading incumbent Phil Bacerra, who has served for seven years. De Anda has 53.64% of the vote compared to Bacerra’s 46.36%. De Anda, an immigrant rights advocate, gained prominence for confronting immigration agents and assisting families through the Orange County rapid response network. In a social media post before polls closed, she stated that indifference and silence constitute complicity and that southern Santa Ana communities deserve better representation.
The District 68 state assembly race also saw a close contest between Santa Ana councilmember David Penaloza and councilwoman Jessie López. Penaloza leads with 51% of the vote against López’s 48%. In the District 6 race, Isuri Ramos, who serves as president of the Planning Commission and executive director of Chispa, is ahead with approximately 53% of the vote. Attorney Giovanni Chávez trails with 46%, a difference of more than 400 votes.
Ramos expressed pride in the campaign efforts, noting that the team maintained a focus on joy and community despite facing significant financial resources. According to Voice of OC, if current results stand, De Anda, Ramos, and District 2 candidate Benjamin Vázquez could form a new progressive majority on the city council. This alignment would leave Amezcua as the only elected official on the council with a conservative leaning.
Amezcua used her final election night message to thank residents for their service to the community. She emphasized a desire to continue working together to improve Santa Ana, regardless of the final outcome. The city’s political landscape is undergoing a notable shift as these new council members prepare to assume their roles.
