Greater Orange News Service

eLECTION Watch 2006
SPECIAL REPORT on
Greater Orange ELECTION RESULTS

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a Special News Analysis series by Orange Net News /O/N/N/

As Villa Park voters defeated Measure FF Term Limits Modification (55.2% NO; 44.8% YES), they also opted for change on the City Council as the voters in the cities eight precincts dumped long time council person and Mayor Patricia Bortle along with appointed Council person and Foothills Sentry commentator Robert Fauteux in favor of three new council persons. On top of the race for the three Villa Park seats was Brad Reese, followed by Jim Rhines. Picking up the third seat was long time local activist Deborah Pauly.

Villa Park City Council Final Results:
BRADLEY E. "BRAD" REESE 1407 votes =27.7%
JAMES "JIM" RHEINS 1140 votes =22.4%
DEBORAH PAULY 892 votes =17.5%
ROBERT H. "BOB" FAUTEUX 827 votes =16.3%
PATRICIA L. BORTLE 820 votes =16.1%

ALL OUSD INCUMBENT TUSTEES RE-ELECTED
As the first ballots reported in the four Orange Unified School Board races were the absentee ballots (traditionally the most conservative ballots cast), it was clear from the very beginning of the evening the incumbent Orange Unified School District Trustees, Kim Nichols, Kathy Moffat, Rick Ledesma and Melissa Smith would easily be re-elected. The first returns showed the Moffat race ahead with nearly 65% of the votes over rival Denise Bittel as the all the OUSD incumbents never lost their initial leads as they swept their opponents aside.

The OUSD races had an assortment of schizophrenic endorsements that zigzagged across political, labor and issue oriented groups (as well as personal grudges and rivalries) that resulted in split endorsements between an assortment of incumbents and challengers. In the end all six challengers lost as all the incumbents were re-elected. Anaheim Hills Trustee Melissa Smith was the only “vote minority” winner as she faced the toughest campaign against two opponents, one the Education Alliance endorsed Alexia Deligianni. Also endorsing Deligianni was the Anaheim Hills centered Music Matters Committee.

One incumbent OUSD Trustee did not fair so well election night. Controversial OUSD Trustee Steve Rocco was soundly defeated in his bid to unseat Rancho Santiago College Trustee incumbent John Hanna. Hanna received 73% of the vote. Rocco's 14,380 votes equaled 26% of the votes cast.

AREA 1
MELISSA TAYLOR SMITH 15117 votes = 45.8%
"ALEXIA" L. DELIGIANNI 10641 votes = 32.2%
GEORGE CARDENAS 7245 votes = 22.0%

AREA 4
KATHY MOFFAT 20059 votes = 62.0%
DENISE BITTEL 12271 votes = 38.0%

AREA 5
KIMBERLEE NICHOLS 18170 votes = 56.7%
"CHRIS" EMAMI 9500 = 29.6%
PAUL-DEAN MARTIN 4387 = 13.7%

Area 7
RICK LEDESMA 18424 votes = 57.6%
LARRY COHN 13582 votes = 42.4%

Cavecche Wins, Rudat Lost
In the City of Orange races, Carolyn Cavecche easily won the Mayor’s Race in an unusually negative campaign that saw attacks by outside interests take their toll on the Mike Alvarez campaign. Outgoing Mayor Mark Murphy easily came out on top for one of the two Orange City Council seats. Denis Bilodeau won the second Orange City Council seat after another negative campaign battle between him and the controversial Carol Rudat. Rudat came in a distant third.

ANOTHER BIG WINNER- The OC Registrar of Voters
The new OC Registrars election website, OCVOTE.COM, was also a big winner with campaigns (and campaign parties) across Orange County. With an accurate UPDATE Countdown clock, the days of constantly hitting the refresh button and wondering when the next update will be are now long gone. The result: not only less stress, but also more time for socializing at all those “victory” parties.

FOR COMPLETE ELECTION RESULTS CLICK ON:
http://www.ocvote.com/live/gen2006/results.htm#c-218

eLECTION Watch 2006 is produced by Orange Net News /O/N/N/


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