Moorlach overtakes rivals in special election

Former county Supervisor John Moorlach appeared to have won Tuesday’s special election for the 37th state Senate district, defeating three challengers, including his closest rival, state Assemblyman Don Wagner (R-Irvine).

With all 248 precincts reporting, Moorlach — termed-out earlier this year after two four-year terms on the Orange County Board of Supervisors — had 34,208 votes to 29,987 for Wagner, an attorney and assemblyman since 2010 for the 68th District. This gives Moorlach 50.4% to Wagner’s 44.1%.

Turnout was 14% of the nearly 492,000 registered voters in the 37th District, according to information provided by the registrar of voters.

Trailing the two men, both Republicans, were challengers Naz Namazi, a Republican from Irvine and congressional aide, and Louise Stewardson, a nurse and Democratic write-in candidate from Huntington Beach.

As of 10:30 p.m., Namazi had 3.5% of the votes to Stewardson’s 2%.

Moorlach, speaking from his campaign reception at an Upper Newport Bay home, said he was shooting to get at least 50% of the vote, which would end the election this week and avoid a runoff May 19.

“We just worked really hard,” he said of his campaign. “We had a great grassroots. We had to deal with an opponent who just couldn’t tell a straight story. It showed desperation. Thankfully, the voters so far could see through it.”

Earlier in the evening, Wagner said he remained “cautiously optimistic.”

“If we can get to a May runoff,” he said, “I feel good about my chances.”

Republican infighting marked much of the 37th election, with Moorlach taking the brunt of negative campaigning from Wagner and his supporters. Wagner, who called himself the conservative choice, was critical of Moorlach’s terms as supervisor, which included raising various fees and redecorating his office at a cost of about $200,000.

Wagner also managed to stay far ahead of his challengers in terms of fundraising: $371,000, according to the latest campaign filing date.

Moorlach, who raised about a third of that, touted his financial acumen as a certified public accountant and predictor of Orange County’s 1994 bankruptcy. He was also critical of Wagner’s acceptance of campaign funds from labor unions.

“We were hammered by the union crowd,” Moorlach said. “They told a lot of falsehoods. We were just hoping the voters could see through the nonsense that they were receiving in the mail.”

More than 1,000 poll workers manned 189 polling stations Tuesday throughout the district, which includes a large swath of Orange County from Laguna Beach to Anaheim Hills. Of the 491,852 registered voters, about 42% are Republicans and nearly 29% are Democrats.

The 37th seat was vacated earlier this year by Mimi Walters, who left after being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November.

The state Senate term lasts through December 2016.