Early results in the race for Santa Ana City Council show incumbents leading the race for their respective council seats, while a newcomer holds a wide lead for mayor, according to unofficial results as of 5 p.m. on Nov. 9 per the Orange County Registrar of Voters.
In Ward 2, incumbent Nelida Mendoza leads with 52.8 percent of the vote, while challenger Benjamin Vasquez has 47.2 percent.
Ward 4’s Phil Bacerra has 58.2 percent, while Amalia Mejia holds 41.8 percent.
David Penaloza, the incumbent for Ward 6, has 58.7 percent of the vote, while opponent Manuel Escamilla stands at 41.3 percent.
With current mayor Vicente Sarmiento running for Orange County supervisor, the mayoral seat is up for grabs….