Yorba Linda voters are again election outliers; longtime PYLUSD school trustee loses position

 

Once again Yorba Linda voters are election outliers, as they made many different choices in Nov. 8 midterm balloting than voters statewide and in Orange County and neighboring cities.

This year's trend was evident in the results for two state propositions, many judicial contests and balloting for state superintendent of public instruction. State, county and neighbor cities heavily favored Propositions 1 and 28 and the incumbent superintendent.

Yorba Linda cast a 55% “no” vote for Proposition 1, a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights. The Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, La Palma and Placentia “yes” vote ranged from 53% to 59%.

Yorba Linda recorded a larger vote against Proposition 28, which will provide additional funding for arts and music education in public schools, including charter schools. Yorba Linda's 56% “no” vote contrasted to solid support from voters in the state, county and neighboring cities.

And Yorba Linda voters cast a 49% “no” vote on Proposition 31, which would prohibit retail sales of certain flavored tobacco products, while state, county and neighboring cities voted heavily in favor of the measure.

In the lone Superior Court contest on the ballot, for judge in the county's office 30, Yorba Linda's voters gave a hefty majority vote to two-term City Council member Peggy Huang.

That's not surprising, since Huang was Yorba Linda's top vote-getter in both of her council races in 2014 and 2018. But the countywide electorate heavily favored Huang's opponent, Michele Bell, who won all of the county's cities, except Yorba Linda.Also not surprising: Yorba Linda's “no” vote for Patricia Guerrero as Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court was substantially higher than “no” votes cast in the other county cities, which was also true for most of the 15 other Supreme Court and Appeals Court judges on the ballot.

For the state's superintendent of public instruction, Yorba Linda voted for Lance Christensen, while state, county and neighboring cities gave large majorities to incumbent Tony Thurmond.

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Karin Freeman, Yorba Linda's second-longest serving official in elective office, will not return as Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District trustee, after placing second to Todd Frazer.

Freeman was appointed a Yorba Linda School District trustee in 1986 and elected to a new term in 1987 before transitioning to the Placentia-Yorba Linda board in 1989, when the K-8 and K-12 districts merged. She's served continuously since, a total of just over 36 years.

Freeman, also a longtime trustee for the North Orange County Regional Occupational Program, is finishing a term as board president. Placentia-Yorba Linda trustees will be making a new appointment to that board.

Yorba Linda's longest-serving official was Paul Armstrong at 40 years, 12 as Yorba Linda School District trustee and 28 as Yorba Linda Water District director.