Half of Yorba Linda's registered voters cast ballots in June 7 primary election, making clear choices

About half of Yorba Linda's registered voters cast ballots in last week's primary election, nearly doubling the June turnout just two years ago and matching the number voting in the November 2014 general election.

While a few mail-in and precinct ballots remain to be tabulated, the choices of this city's Republican and Democratic voters are clear, with the results in one 15-candidate contest perhaps providing an early snapshot of the upcoming race for three slots on the City Council.

Here are some key results from Yorba Linda's voters:

--In the Republican presidential primary, 73.6 percent voted for Donald Trump and 20.3 percent for candidates who had suspended their campaigns but whose names remained on the ballot. Some 6.1 percent didn't vote for any of the listed candidates.

Percentages of the vote for candidates who previously dropped out: John Kasich, 9.5; Ted Cruz, 8; Ben Carson, 2; and Jim Gilmore, 0.5.

In the Democratic presidential primary, 73.5 percent of the votes were cast by Democrats and 26.5 percent by “no party preference” registrants who requested Democratic ballots.

Percentages of the vote were Hillary Clinton, 54.9; Bernie Sanders, 40.7; five other candidates on the ballot, 1.0; and none of the listed candidates, 3.4.

--Republican voters in Yorba Linda, Placentia, Brea and La Habra selected five Yorba Linda residents for the area's six-member Republican Central Committee delegation from a 15-candidate field that included 12 contenders from this city.

Top vote-getter was City Councilman Craig Young. Other Yorba Lindans elected were council members Gene Hernandez and Peggy Huang, 16-year Municipal Water District director Brett Barbre and businessman James Gerbus. Also elected was La Habra Councilman Tim Shaw.

Young and Gerbus are new to the committee, ousting incumbents Karla Downing and Dennis White from Yorba Linda. The six are scheduled to begin their new four-year terms on Jan. 16.

Tara Campbell, chair of the city's Parks and Recreation Commission, who ran on a slate with five of the winners, placed seventh. She's received endorsements in the November council race from Hernandez, Huang, Young and Mayor Tom Lindsey.

The support for Young and Hernandez – from Republican voters, at least – portend well for the pair as they seek second council terms in November. The Central Committee makes endorsements in local council races and are likely to endorse in a potential water board recall of two directors and on two director positions already scheduled for the November ballot.

--Also in Yorba Linda, Kamala Harris, Duf Sundheim and Loretta Sanchez ran first, second and third for U.S. Senate; Congressman Ed Royce placed 50 percentage points above his Democratic opponent; Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang won 65 percent of the vote against two Democrats for state Senate; and fewer than 100 votes separate Phillip Chen and Mike Spence for Chang's Assembly seat.