Two long-standing trends might change council race
Two interesting and longstanding trends in Yorba Linda City Council elections might impact this year’s contest involving nine contenders running for three seats on the five-member governing body.
First, voters have never been reticent about bumping incumbents out of office, especially if they think municipal office-holders haven’t diligently protected the city’s heritage as a low-density community.
In 41 years, excluding the current council members, Yorba Lindans have elected just 23 individuals to seats at the dais, and they’ve dumped nine incumbents who sought second, third, fourth or fifth terms—a bump rate of nearly 40 percent.
The removal process started in 1970, when three of the city’s original council members were defeated by a slate of slow-growth candidates, who wrote and implemented Yorba Linda’s first low-density General Plan in 1971.
The ’72 election added two more contenders from a similar slow-growth slate to forge a unanimous low-density council. Incumbents also lost in 1980, 1990, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2006.
With some sensing defeat, 11 incumbents have opted out of re-election bids: four left office after one term, five after two terms and two after three terms. Three councilmen have resigned: two left the city and one won higher office.
One indication of trouble for incumbents this year—Hank Wedaa is seeking a ninth term and Jim Winder a third—is their support for the arterial lighting and landscape tax boost property owners defeated with a 75 percent “no” vote in a March mail-in ballot.
Second, Yorba Lindans always vote in larger numbers in a Presidential election than in other regular or special election years.
In the 2004 Bush-Kerry Presidential contest, 32,564 or 80.7 percent of the city’s 40,357 registered voters cast ballots, with first-place finisher Allen Castellano receiving 16,879. In 2006, only 23,354 or 57.4 percent of 40,693 voted, and Jan Horton led with 8,293.
In the 1988 Bush-Dukakis race, 22,334 or 81.6 percent of 27,362 registered voters cast ballots; but in 1990, only 18,029 or 64.8 percent of 27,798 voted. Gene Wisner led in ’88 with 12,380 votes, while John Gullixson ran first in ’90 with 9,231.
The city’s largest turnout came in the 1984 Reagan-Mondale race: 84 percent or 16,386 out of 19,516 registered voters cast ballots. The smallest turnout was for a 2007 special election for a single council seat: only 20.4 percent or 8,362 out of 40,957 voted.
Currently, an all-time high of 41,783 residents are registered to vote, and a spirited contest between the McCain-Palin and Obama-Biden tickets could result in a record number of those casting ballots.
First, voters have never been reticent about bumping incumbents out of office, especially if they think municipal office-holders haven’t diligently protected the city’s heritage as a low-density community.
In 41 years, excluding the current council members, Yorba Lindans have elected just 23 individuals to seats at the dais, and they’ve dumped nine incumbents who sought second, third, fourth or fifth terms—a bump rate of nearly 40 percent.
The removal process started in 1970, when three of the city’s original council members were defeated by a slate of slow-growth candidates, who wrote and implemented Yorba Linda’s first low-density General Plan in 1971.
The ’72 election added two more contenders from a similar slow-growth slate to forge a unanimous low-density council. Incumbents also lost in 1980, 1990, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2006.
With some sensing defeat, 11 incumbents have opted out of re-election bids: four left office after one term, five after two terms and two after three terms. Three councilmen have resigned: two left the city and one won higher office.
One indication of trouble for incumbents this year—Hank Wedaa is seeking a ninth term and Jim Winder a third—is their support for the arterial lighting and landscape tax boost property owners defeated with a 75 percent “no” vote in a March mail-in ballot.
Second, Yorba Lindans always vote in larger numbers in a Presidential election than in other regular or special election years.
In the 2004 Bush-Kerry Presidential contest, 32,564 or 80.7 percent of the city’s 40,357 registered voters cast ballots, with first-place finisher Allen Castellano receiving 16,879. In 2006, only 23,354 or 57.4 percent of 40,693 voted, and Jan Horton led with 8,293.
In the 1988 Bush-Dukakis race, 22,334 or 81.6 percent of 27,362 registered voters cast ballots; but in 1990, only 18,029 or 64.8 percent of 27,798 voted. Gene Wisner led in ’88 with 12,380 votes, while John Gullixson ran first in ’90 with 9,231.
The city’s largest turnout came in the 1984 Reagan-Mondale race: 84 percent or 16,386 out of 19,516 registered voters cast ballots. The smallest turnout was for a 2007 special election for a single council seat: only 20.4 percent or 8,362 out of 40,957 voted.
Currently, an all-time high of 41,783 residents are registered to vote, and a spirited contest between the McCain-Palin and Obama-Biden tickets could result in a record number of those casting ballots.
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 PM
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