On November 4, millions of California residents cast ballots in the 2014 general election. There were several contentious races across the state, including many in Orange County. At the statewide level, the Democratic supermajority was overturned by a number of key Republican victories. The new balance within the legislature still maintains a strong Democratic majority, with 52 Democrats and 28 Republicans in the Assembly, and 39 Democrats and 14 Republicans serving in the Senate.

The Orange County State and Federal Legislative Delegation will play an important role in the upcoming year to advance the priorities of the Orange County Water District and to protect against any harmful legislation or regulations being proposed. As lawmakers in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. continue to discuss groundwater regulations as well as California drought conditions, OCWD will work closely with its delegation to advance the District mission of providing high-quality reliable water to 2.4 million people in Orange County in a cost-effective manner.

Of Orange County's 17 elected officials at the state and congressional level, just under half are new to their positions. In the Assembly, new representatives touch each section of Orange County, from Assembly Member Matthew Harper in the 74th District along the coast, to Assembly Member Ling Ling Chang, in the 55th District, which represents the county's north-east corner, including the cities of Yorba Linda and Brea. Moving into the 65th District, new Assembly Member Young Kim will represent the cities of Fullerton, Stanton, Buena Park, and portions of Anaheim and Brea in the northern portion of the county, while Assembly Member William Brough won the 73rd District, which runs along the county's southern border in San Clemente up to Mission Viejo.

Three new members will represent Orange County in the Senate: Senator Janet Nguyen, Senator Pat Bates, and Senator Tony Mendoza. Both Senator Nguyen and Senator Bates were elected to the Senate after serving on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Senator Nguyen represents the 34th Senate District, which includes the cities of Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Westminster, Fountain Valley, and portions of Huntington Beach and Seal Beach. Senator Bates represents the 36th District, which includes Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, Rancho Santa Margarita, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, and portions of Aliso Viejo, down the coast into San Diego to Solano Beach. The majority of Senator Mendoza's district is in Los Angeles County, but includes a portion of Buena Park in Orange County.

At the federal level, Senator Mimi Walters will replace Congressman John Campbell, moving from the 37th Senate District to the 45th Congressional District. Congresswoman Walters' district contains the cities of Villa Park, Irvine, Tustin, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, and portions of Laguna Woods and Laguna Niguel. Once Senator Walters is sworn into Congress in early January, a special election will be held to replace her Senate seat.

Congratulations and thanks to these representatives who have made a commitment to public service. The District looks forward to working with them.