Penaloza leads Lopez in early count for 68th Assembly District

Santa Ana Councilmember David Penaloza led fellow Councilmember Jessie Lopez by more than 3,100 votes in preliminary results for California’s 68th Assembly District, Voice of OC reported. Penaloza had about 52% to Lopez’s roughly 48% of more than 66,100 votes counted as of 1:36 a.m. Wednesday.

The district covers Santa Ana, Anaheim and Orange, putting state Assembly representation for those communities at stake. More than 246,500 ballots remained to be processed across Orange County on Wednesday morning, according to Voice of OC; that total was countywide, not specific to this race.

Both candidates are Democrats serving on the Santa Ana City Council. According to Voice of OC, Penaloza’s endorsers include law enforcement and public safety unions, labor unions, the California Democratic Party and the OC Register.

Lopez has backing from the Service Employees International Union, progressive groups, Chispa and Sen. Bernie Sanders, Voice of OC reported. Labor-funded committees also supported her candidacy.

Committees supporting Penaloza had spent more than $8.3 million as of Oct. 27, according to the report. His supporting committees included groups financed by Google and Meta. Groups opposing Lopez had spent more than $4.1 million by the same date.

Groups supporting Lopez had spent nearly $2.3 million as of Oct. 27. Separately, a committee backed by the Service Employees International Union had spent more than $1.3 million opposing Penaloza, Voice of OC reported.

The winner will succeed Assemblyman Avelino Valencia, a Democrat running for state Senate, according to Voice of OC. The reported count remained preliminary.