Dana Point Election Guide: What's On The Ballot, What To Know

DANA POINT, CA — The general election isn’t until Nov. 5, but early voting is about to get underway in California. By Oct. 7, all counties must have begun the process of mailing out ballots to all registered voters.

While the hottest race on the ballot is the presidential election — pitting Vice President Kamala Harris against former President Donald J. Trump — there are plenty of races to watch in Laguna Beach.

Races to watch in Dana Point:

Congressional District 49

Dana Point voters will also decide who they want to represent them in California's 49th Congressional District. The district, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel and San Clemente, is currently represented by Democrat Mike Levin.

This election season, Levin will face off against Republican Matt Gunderson.

Assembly District 74

Voters in Dana Point will decide who they want to represent them in Assembly District 74. The district, which encompasses Dana Point, Laguna Niguel and San Juan Capistrano, is currently represented by Republican Laurie Davies.

This election season, voters will choose between Davies and Democrat Chris Duncan..

Capistrano Unified School District

The Capistrano Unified School District — which reaches across San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Aliso Viejo, Ladera Ranch, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Capistrano Beach, Las Flores and Coto de Caza — will have four seats up for the coming election.

Residents living in CUSD areas 1, 2, 3 and 5 will vote between two candidates to decide who will represent their area on the Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees.

To find out which CUSD area you live in, view this map.

Voters will decide between the following candidates:

• Area 1
  • Amy Hanacek (incumbent)
  • Jennifer Adnams
• Area 2
  • Michael Parham (incumbent)
  • Lisa Zollinger
• Area 3
  • Lisa Davis (incumbent)
  • Sherine Smith
• Area 5
  • Krista Castellanos (incumbent)
  • Sonia Terwiske

Statewide Races

In California, there are several statewide races to watch and 10 propositions to vote on.

U.S. Senate

A consequential contest to watch will be the race for the U.S. Senate seat long-held by the late Dianne Feinstein. In fact, voters will cast their ballot twice in this race, Nov. 5. They’ll choose a candidate to finish out Feinstein’s current term and again for the next term, which will begin in 2025.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey are both vying for the seat. Schiff, a progressive favorite in the Golden State, has served as a Democratic congressman here since 2000, representing the state’s 30th Congressional District in Los Angeles County.

Garvey, formerly an All-Star for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, advanced in March to the November ballot as a first-time political candidate. Republicans have failed to advance a candidate in two of the last three U.S. Senate races, making Garvey’s defeat of Democratic Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, a rare feat for the GOP in blue California.

According to the latest poll from the Public Policy Institute of California, Schiff holds a 28 point-lead (63 percent to 35 percent) over Garvey. Schiff gained widespread name recognition for his role in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. Read more about that race here.

U.S. House

As for congressional races, the state’s most competitive contests for the U.S. House seats in California are primarily in three regions — the Central Valley, Orange County and the Inland Empire, according to the Public Policy Institute of California’s most recent election report. The competitive races include districts 3, 9, 13, 22, 27, 40, 41, 45, 47 and 49.

Currently, the GOP holds seven of these seats. Here’s a brief breakdown of the candidates in each competitive area:

• District 3, which hugs the Nevada border from Death Valley to the Sacramento suburbs, will see another contest between Republican Incumbent Kevin Kiley and returning Democratic candidate Jessica Morse. Kiley previously attempted to run for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s seat in a failed recall attempt.
• District 9 centered in Stockton pits Democratic incumbent against Republican challenger Kevin Lincoln II.
• In District 13 covering the San Joaquin Valley, Republican incumbent John Duarte — who flipped the seat red in 2022 for the first time since 1974 — will go up against Democrat Adam Gray. Since Redistricting in 2022, the district is considered a left-leaning swing district whose voters went for Biden in 2020 but chose a Republican representative in 2022.
• District 22 in the San Joaquin Valley will have Republican incumbent David G. Valadao challenge Democrat Rudy Salas. Both candidates were neck-and-neck during the March primary, with Valadao receiving 32.7 votes to Salas’ 31.3. Redistricting has shifted the 22nd to the left since 2020, making Valadao one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents in the House.
• In District 27, which covers northeast Los Angeles County, GOP incumbent Mike Garcia is pitted against George Whitesides, a former chief of staff of NASA during Barack Obama’s presidency and a formidable challenger for Garcia, who has held the seat since 2020.
• In District 40,covering northeast Riverside County, Democrat Joe Kerr will challenge Republican incumbent Young Kim.
• District 41 will have Republican incumbent Ken Calvert face off against a much younger Democratic contender, Will Rollins. Calvert is the longest-serving GOP member in California Congress. Rollins, who is gay, has clashed with Calvert over LGBTQ+ issues, which may prove to be a challenge for him in a district that encompasses Palm Springs.
• Orange County’s District 45, covering inland north county communities, is diverse both politically and by ethnicity, since the area hosts the largest population of Vietnamese people in the nation. There, Republican incumbent Michelle Steel will face off against Derek Tran, a Democrat known for his advocacy for workers’ rights.
• District 47, another Orange County stronghold, is currently represented by Rep. Katie Porter, who did poorly in the March primary and is not seeking reelection. Former GOP state legislator Scott Baugh, who lost to Porter previously, will challenge Sen. Dave Min.
• District 49 will see Democratic incumbent Mike Levin go up against Republican challenger Matt Gunderson.

State Measures

Of course, it wouldn’t be a major election in California if there were not a slew of proposed propositions on the ballot.

There are 10 statewide propositions on the ballot, including two $10 billion bond measures for school construction and to address climate change. There are also two amendments to the state constitution, one which would repeal the unenforceable ban on same-sex marriage and another that would make it easier for bond measures to pass by lowering the voter threshold from the current supermajority needed to approve bond measures.

However, the most hot-button measure on the ballot is Proposition 36, which seeks to reverse some of the criminal justice reforms passed when voters approved Proposition 47 a decade ago. If Prop 36 passes, it could significantly increase prison time for some drug and theft offenses that are currently misdemeanors.

Click here for Patch’s in-depth reporting on all 10 propositions.

How To Vote

Dana Point voters have three options to vote:

• Mail-in ballot: Voters can mail in the ballots they receive in the mail by signing them, sealing them and placing them in either a mailbox or an approved drop box. Approved drop box locations can be found here.
• Early voting: Each county will have at least one location where voters can vote in person or drop off ballots at least 10 days before primary election day. See here to find your nearest early voting location.
• Traditional in-person voting: Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 5. Click here to find your polling location.

Registering To Vote

Not sure if you’re registered to vote, or need to change your address? You can find out here and make any changes you may need, as well. Californians need to register to vote by Oct. 21 to vote in the Nov. 5 election. You can also register in person on Election Day for a conditional ballot.

Election Day

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Use the links above to find your polling place, and remember that if you are already in line to vote when the polls close, you can still vote — so don't leave! Nov. 5 is also the last day to get your ballot in the mail if you are going that route to cast your votes.