As expected, Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley Thursday announced she would run for the Orange County Board of Supervisors when Michelle Steel resigns to take her seat in Congress.
“Orange County can’t afford to look backward, and the status quo within the county government is no longer good enough,” Foley said in a statement.
“I am running for supervisor to use facts and science to protect public health, implement common sense solutions to help local businesses and workers recover, and find new ideas to solve the unprecedented problems we face.”
Former Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach has also announced he will run to try to succeed Steel. Moorlach served on the board from 2006-15 when he was termed out, prompting him to run for state Senate and win a special election in 2015.
Moorlach narrowly lost his bid for re-election to UC Irvine law professor Dave Min.
Moorlach recently won the endorsement of the Orange County Republican Party. Republicans have been clearing the field for Moorlach to have a one-on-one with Foley, a Democrat.
Foley, who was re-elected mayor last month, touted her experience as mayor, councilwoman, school board member and business owner.
She argued her political experience makes her “uniquely qualified to serve on our Board of Supervisors at this critical time. I won’t be afraid to take on the bureaucracy and fight for meaningful change, and I’ve got the energy and work ethic needed to be effective.”
The special election’s timing depends on when Steel resigns. The Board of Supervisors has yet to vote on when the special election will be held, but Orange County Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley said the “window” for a special election includes March 2 or March 9.