Outside groups spend millions in Orange County supervisor races

Labor unions, business-backed groups and political parties have spent millions of dollars on advertising in two Orange County supervisor races, with outside spending favoring incumbent Katrina Foley and Buena Park Mayor Connor Traut, according to Voice of OC.

The spending comes as deputies whose union is a major advertiser await a county labor agreement after rejecting a one-year offer with a 3% raise. The advertising expenditures are separate from the candidates' own campaign spending.

Most of the outside spending detailed by Voice of OC centered on the Fifth District contest between Foley, a Democrat, and Republican Assemblywoman Diane Dixon. Roughly $2.5 million in outside spending benefited Foley, whose campaign separately spent more than $770,000 through Oct. 17.

The Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriff's PAC spent more than $1.2 million in that race, directing just under $1 million toward supporting Foley and the rest toward opposing Dixon, according to Voice of OC. Labor unions supplied most of Foley's other outside backing. The Democratic Party of Orange County spent at least $346,000 supporting her.

Dixon's largest outside backer identified in the report was the OC Lincoln Club, which spent about $137,000 promoting her and more than $567,000 opposing Foley. The Coalition to Restore California's Middle Class PAC spent more than $331,000 on recent advertising benefiting Dixon. Chevron donated $3 million to that energy, manufacturing and technology company-backed committee, but the report did not establish that the entire donation went toward this race.

Voice of OC reported just over $1 million in outside spending benefiting Dixon before separately listing more than $246,000 from the Republican Party of Orange County. Dixon's campaign spent $610,000 through Oct. 17.

In the Fourth District, where Supervisor Doug Chaffee is leaving because of term limits, the deputy sheriff's PAC spent $960,000 promoting Traut. Firefighter groups and the OC Employees Association together spent roughly $800,000 supporting him, while the county Democratic Party spent about $158,000, according to Voice of OC. Traut's campaign separately spent more than $458,000.

For Traut's opponent, identified in the report by the surname Shaw, Voice of OC listed about $102,000 in support from the National Association of Realtors Fund and about $6,000 from the county Republican Party. Shaw's campaign spent $126,000. The report inconsistently identified the Fourth District opponent, leaving the candidate's full name unclear.