Democrats in Orange County are adding to their ranks in terms of registered voters.
While Republicans have gained ground in terms of registering voters over the past five months in Orange County, Democrats have seen an uptick in recent weeks — particularly since President Joe Biden exited his re-election bid and Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz were elevated to the top of the party’s ticket. And Democrats have maintained the voter registration advantage they’ve had since 2019.
Related: Orange County voter registration data shows GOP gaining ground
As of Wednesday, Aug. 14, Orange County boasts 1,831,567 registered voters. Democrats account for 678,487 of them (37%), Republicans 622,275 (34%) and no party preference 416,977 (22.8%), according to data from the county registrar of voters.
For Democrats, that’s still 2,457 fewer registered voters than the party could claim on Feb. 20, when a statewide report of registered voters was published ahead of the primary election. But that’s an increase of 1,636 since mid-July.
Republicans are continuing to add to their roster. The GOP has increased registered voters in Orange County by 10,877 since February. And 2,142 of those have been added since July 18.
Since Feb. 20, there have been 2,233 more registered no party preference voters in Orange County, with a 1,745 increase occurring since July 18.
Overall, there are now 13,016 more registered voters in Orange County than there were just ahead of the March primary contests.
Attention on the Assembly
Voter registration data broken down by Orange County’s nine Assembly districts largely mirrors the overall trend seen across the county, with a few exceptions.
And even in several districts where there has been a decrease in registered Democratic voters since October 2022, just ahead of the midterm elections, Democrats still have a hefty voter registration advantage.
For example, in Assembly District 64, which includes La Habra and parts of Los Angeles County, there has been a 1,044 decrease in registered Democratic voters from Oct. 24, 2022, to July 5, according to data from the secretary of state’s office. Republicans, meanwhile, have gained 5,179 registered voters in that period.
But Democrats still account for 50.11% of registered voters in that district, or 140,401, compared to 22.21% Republicans (62,239) and 21.16% no party preference (59,292).
While the Orange County Registrar of Voters posts daily voter registration data updates online, state law only requires the secretary of state to post voter registration reports at certain intervals throughout the year. The most recent report, which covers Assembly districts that span more than one county, is from July 5, before Biden stepped aside from his re-election effort.
Voter registration data shows one local Assembly district has flipped from majority Democratic voters to Republicans.
Registered Republican voters now outnumber registered Democrats in the coastal 74th district, which covers Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano and some northern San Diego County communities. There, Assemblymember Laurie Davies, a Republican, will face San Clemente City Councilmember Chris Duncan in November.
In February, just ahead of the primary election, 105,615 out of 299,179 registered voters in the district were Democrats. Republicans accounted for 104,234 of those voters, and no party preference claimed 65,115.
As of July 5, the number of registered voters in the district has grown to 300,238. Republicans account for 105,435 of those, and Democrats 105,301. And 64,857 registered voters are no party preference.
While every Assembly district has added voters since late February, one has seen a decrease in registered voters since October 2022: the 72nd, which stretches along the coast from Seal Beach to Laguna Beach and out to Lake Forest.
There, 335,718 people are registered to vote, slightly up from 335,352 in late February. But in October 2022, 337,541 people were registered.
As of July 5, there were 1,141 fewer registered Democrats and 2,741 fewer registered no party preference voters. But Republicans added 2,118 registered voters.
