Although votes are still being counted, we’re starting to get a better sense of who Orange County voters want to represent them in Sacramento.

So far, it appears most incumbents are holding onto their seats — when they aren’t pitted against one another. And one Assembly race is proving the adage “every vote counts” to be especially true.

These races “reflect a trend that’s taking place across the state and across the country. As angry and as dissatisfied as voters are, they generally have been opting for incumbents or more familiar options,” said Dan Schnur, a former campaign consultant who teaches about political messaging at UC Berkeley and USC. “Even though this has been such an angry and divisive campaign (season), it looks like the outcome is fairly status quo.”

The race for the 67th Assembly District — which includes the Cypress, Buena Park, Fullerton and Cerritos communities in Orange and Los Angeles counties — is a particularly tight one. Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva leads Republican Soo Yoo, a longtime ABC Unified school board member, with just slim margins after the latest vote tallies were released Friday evening.

However, the margins in the 73rd Assembly district, a contest between two sitting assembly members, are less narrow.

Election Results

By Friday evening, Democratic Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris maintained a lead over GOP Assemblyman Steven Choi. The two were pitted against each other after Petrie-Norris moved to Irvine following redistricting.

But the race for the 71st Assembly district, a Republican-on-Republican contest, is nearly neck and neck. Businesswoman Kate Sanchez only holds a slim lead over Temecula Mayor Matt Rahn after another round of election returns was reported in Orange and Riverside counties Friday night.

This is a district that includes Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Ladera Ranch and Temecula.

In the upper chamber, incumbent Sens. Bob Archuleta and Tom Umberg continued to maintain their leads over their Republican opponents Friday evening.

Here’s a closer look at how the other legislative seats stand.

SD-32: Republican Assemblyman Kelly Seyarto continued to hold a large lead over Democrat Brian Nash in a district that encompasses Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties.

SD-36: Republican Assemblywoman Janet Nguyen is ahead of Democratic Huntington Beach City Councilwoman Kim Carr. The coastal district includes Orange and Los Angeles counties, from Cerritos down to Cypress and Seal Beach and then stretching down to San Clemente.

SD-38: This is one of the closest Senate races this cycle, with Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear, a Democrat, holding a slight lead over GOP businessman Matt Gunderson. The district is mostly in solidly blue San Diego County, but includes red-leaning Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita and San Juan Capistrano in Orange County.

AD-59: Incumbent Assemblyman Philip Chen, a Republican, continued to hold a sizable advantage over Leon Sit, a UCLA engineering student who won his spot on the ballot as a write-in candidate. The district stretches from Chino Hills in San Bernardino County down to North Tustin in Orange County.

AD-64: Downey Mayor Blanca Pacheco, a Democrat, continued to hold her lead over Republican pastor Raul Ortiz Jr. This district is centered in Los Angeles County, but includes La Habra in Orange County.

AD-68: Anaheim City Councilman Avelino Valencia, a Democrat, continued to hold his advantage over Republican Mike Tardif Friday evening. The seat, which includes Anaheim, Orange and Santa Ana, was left open after Tom Daly, a former Anaheim mayor and longtime elected official, opted not to run again this year.

AD-70: Republican Westminster Mayor Tri Ta continued to hold a sizable lead over Garden Grove Councilwoman Diedre Thu-Ha Nguyen, a Democrat, with the latest vote tallies in. The open district includes Garden Grove, Fountain Valley and Westminster, and is seen as a potentially strong voice for the Vietnamese community in state politics.

AD-72: Newport Beach Councilwoman Diane Dixon, a Republican, has extended her lead over Democrat Judie Mancuso in this mostly coastal district that stretches from Seal Beach to Laguna Beach and juts inland to include Aliso Viejo, Laguna Woods and Lake Forest.

AD-74: Republican Assemblywoman Laurie Davies has the advantage over Democrat Chris Duncan after the latest vote tallies Friday evening. This Orange and San Diego counties district includes Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, San Clemente, Oceanside and Vista.

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