Voters across the county go to the polls Tuesday to have their say on primary races for federal, state and local posts, ballot initiatives and some local measures.
Big money Republican primaries for governor and a California Senate seat are expected to be draws for GOP voters.
Governor candidate frontrunner Meg Whitman and challenger Steve Poizner both have called on Orange County during a bitter, expensive campaign.
The dogfight between the two former Silicon Valley executives has set a spending record, with Whitman shelling out more than $80 million, including $71 million of her own money. Poizner, the state insurance commissioner, has spent about $25 million of his own money.
The race to take on U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer is the other big contest, with former Hewlett-Packard Co. chief Carly Fiorina vying for the GOP nomination against former Rep. Tom Campbell and Assemblyman Chuck DeVore of Irvine.
Voters also will weigh in on five statewide ballot measures, including ones on establishing an open primary and another limiting the ability of governments to start electricity utilities.
Locally, a couple of notable measures are going before voters.
In Mission Viejo, Measure D would require zoning changes to go to a public vote and could serve to slow or halt development in the South County city.
Opponents, including real estate groups, auto dealers and others, have been giving money to the “no” side.
In Costa Mesa, voters are set to address Measure C, which would restrict use of the OC Fair & Event Center to its current use as a fairgrounds and would bar the development of housing, stores and other uses.
Two contentious county races also come to an end today—sort of.
The race to fill the county Board of Supervisors seat vacated by Assembly candidate Chris Norby could see a November runoff between the top two vote-getters.
Republicans Harry Sidhu, an Anaheim councilman, and Shawn Nelson, a Fullerton councilman, are vying against Democrat Lorri Galloway, an Anaheim councilwoman.
A three-way battle for county sheriff also could see a hung vote and runoff.
Sandra Hutchens, who in 2008 was appointed after the fall of former sheriff Mike Carona, faces two challengers in her first election test: former sheriff Lt. Bill Hunt and Anaheim Deputy Police Chief Craig Hunter.
