2018 Orange County, California District Attorney election

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2018 Orange County, California District Attorney election
Flag of Orange County, California.svg
← 2014June 5, 2018 (first round)
November 6, 2018 (runoff)		 2022  →
Turnout42.9% (first round), [1] 71.0% (runoff) [2]
  Todd A. Spitzer.jpg No image.svg No image.svg
Candidate Todd Spitzer Tony Rackauckas Brett Murdock
First round191,346
35.2%		209,148
38.5%		121,818
22.4%
Runoff484,830
53.2%		425,764
46.8%		Eliminated
2018 Orange County, CA DA initial.svg
2018 Orange County, CA DA runoff.svg
Spitzer:     50–60%
Rackauckas:     30–40%     40–50%
District Attorney before election

Tony Rackauckas

Elected District Attorney

Todd Spitzer

The 2018 Orange, County, California District Attorney election took place on June 5, 2018 for the first round. Because no candidate received a majority in the first round, a runoff took place November 6, 2018, to elect the Orange County, California District Attorney. County-level elections in California are officially nonpartisan. Because no candidate received a majority, a runoff was held on November 6, 2018.

Contents

Incumbent District Attorney Tony Rackauckas is running for a sixth term. [3] Rackauckas was re-elected in 2014 with 73% of the vote in 2014.

In July 2017, Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer declared that he will challenge Rackauckas due to scandals within the Orange County District Attorney's office. [4]

In May 2018, former mayor of Brea Brett Murdock declared candidacy. [5]

Rackauckas has faced criticism for allegedly mishandling jailhouse informants, making it more difficult to convict and sentence defendants. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

On September 22, 2017, Scott Dekraai was sentenced to eight terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole, one term for each of his victims and to seven years to life for attempted murder in a Seal Beach salon shooting. The jailhouse informant scandal allegedly involving Rackauckas made it impossible to seek the death penalty for Dekraai. [11] [12]

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint claiming the alleged widespread use of jailhouse informants by Orange County law enforcement officeholders has continued for decades. The United States Department of Justice and California Attorney General's office both launched probes investigating the jailhouse informant case. As of April 4, 2018, no charges have been filed against any Orange County law enforcement official. [13]

On April 26, 2018, a forum for candidates sponsored by conservative PAC Hispanic 100 was held. [14]

Assistant Orange County Public Defender Scott Sanders claims California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions have turned a blind eye to the use of jailhouse informants. Sanders discovered that more than 140 cases might have been mishandled due to the use of jailhouse informants. Sanders claims that it is the largest jailhouse informant scandal in United States history. [15]

On November 6, 2018, Spitzer, a Republican, defeated incumbent Republican Rackauckas, denying Rackauckas a sixth term.

Candidates

Declared

General election

Endorsements

Brett Murdock
U.S. Representatives
State-level officials
Other individuals
  • Fran Sdao, Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Orange County
Organizations
  • Costa Mesa Democratic Club
  • Democratic Party of Orange County
  • Orange County Young Democrats
  • Laguna Woods Democratic Club
  • Seal Beach Leisure World Democratic Club

[17]

Tony Rackauckas
U.S. Representatives
State Senators
State Assembly members

[18]

Todd Spitzer
Local-level officials
Other individuals
Organizations

[19]

Results

Orange County, California District Attorney election, 2018 [1]
CandidateVotes %
Tony Rackauckas (incumbent)209,14838.5%
Todd Spitzer 191,34635.2%
Brett Murdock121,81822.4%
Lenore Albert-Sheridan20,8903.8%
Total votes543,202 100.0%

Results by county supervisorial district

Rackauckas won all 5 county supervisorial districts by varying margins. Red represents county supervisorial districts won by Rackauckas.

Results by county supervisorial district [1]
DistrictAlbert-SheridanMurdockRackauckasSpitzerTotal
Votes %Votes %Votes %Votes %Votes
13,2344.9%16,34424.8%25,84039.3%20,41331.0%65,831
25,4324.1%29,24822.2%53,59140.7%43,24532.9%131,516
34,0003.4%24,01520.4%44,83538.1%44,80538.1%117,655
43,6024.1%23,02026.5%31,14035.8%29,16933.6%86,931
54,6223.3%29,19120.7%53,74238.0%53,71438.0%141,269
Totals20,8903.8%121,81822.4%209,14838.5%191,34635.2%543,202

Runoff

Endorsements

Tony Rackauckas
U.S. Representatives
State Senators
State Assembly members

[17]

Todd Spitzer
State-level officials
Local-level officials
Other individuals
  • Bill Handel, talk radio host [20]
  • John and Ken, talk radio co-hosts of The John and Ken Show [20]
  • Harriett Salarno, Chairwoman of Crime Victims United of California
  • Nina Salarno, president of Crime Victims United of California
  • Ron Thomas, father of Kelly Thomas
  • Patricia Wenskunas, CEO of Crime Survivors
  • Paul Wilson, husband of Christy Lynn Wilson
Organizations
  • Crime Victims United of California
  • Hispanic 100 [14]
  • Orange County Professional Firefighters Association
Newspapers

[19]

Results

Orange County, California District Attorney election runoff, 2018 [2]
CandidateVotes %
Todd Spitzer 484,83053.2%
Tony Rackauckas (incumbent)425,76446.8%
Total votes910,594 100.0%

Results by county supervisorial district

Spitzer won all 5 county supervisorial districts. Red represents county supervisorial districts won by Spitzer. [2]

Results by county supervisorial district [2]
DistrictRackauckasSpitzerTotal
Votes %Votes %Votes
161,29749.7%61,91950.3%123,216
2103,96949.7%105,02750.3%208,996
389,73944.5%111,71555.4%201,454
466,35044.7%82,24355.3%148,593
5104,40945.7%123,92654.3%228,335
Totals425,76446.8%484,83053.2%910,594

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Voter nominated" (PDF). ocvote.gov. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "General Election - 11/6/2018" (PDF). ocvote.gov. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Despite scandals and doubts, Orange County district attorney wants another term, and a shot at vindication
  4. ↑ "Todd Spitzer will challenge Tony Rackauckas for Orange County district attorney post". Los Angeles Times . July 10, 2017. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Turmoil, passion surround major Orange County law enforcement races
  6. ↑ "'Failure of leadership' at the Orange County D.A.'s office led to informant issues, report says". Los Angeles Times . January 4, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  7. ↑ "After scathing report by panel he selected, O.C. D.A. Tony Rackauckas says he's staying put". Ocregister.com. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Inside the Snitch Tank". Ocregister.com. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  9. ↑ "OC Snitch Scandal". OC Weekly. Archived from the original on May 2, 2017. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Deputies take the Fifth, complicating yet another jail snitch case". Ocregister.com. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Scott Dekraai, Orange County's worst mass killer, gets life without parole for eight Seal Beach murders". Ocregister.com. September 23, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Judge rules out death penalty for Scott Dekraai in Seal Beach mass murder case". Ocregister.com. August 18, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  13. ↑ ACLU Accuses Sheriff, Top Prosecutor Of Rampant Misconduct In California’s Orange County
  14. 1 2 3 In Orange County DA's race, candidates' debate is elusive
  15. ↑ New Evidence In California Jail Snitch Scandal Raises Questions About State, Federal Probes
  16. ↑ "Lenore Albert-Sheridan" (PDF). ocvote.gov. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  17. 1 2 "Endorsements". Brett Murdock for District Attorney. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Endorsements". Tony Rackauckas for District Attorney. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  19. 1 2 "Endorsements". Todd Spitzer for District Attorney. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  20. 1 2 News
  21. ↑ Endorsement: Spitzer for Orange County district attorney
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