Voice of OC reported that attorney Dan Shimell leads incumbent Valerie Amezcua in the mayoral race. Following a Monday update in the electoral count, incumbent Valerie Amezcua conceded the election.
As the updates progressed through the week, Dan Shimell held roughly forty-seven percent of votes by Tuesday evening. In comparison, incumbent Valerie Amezcua held roughly forty percent of votes. With these percentages tallied by Tuesday evening, attorney Dan Shimell led by over four thousand two hundred votes in the mayoral race against Valerie Amezcua.
The contest also featured notable financial expenditures from outside interests. Records regarding the campaign show that the police union spent over one hundred ten thousand dollars supporting Amezcua. Despite the fact that the police union spent over one hundred ten thousand dollars supporting Amezcua, incumbent Valerie Amezcua ultimately conceded the election after the Monday update.
Regarding the background of the incoming mayor, attorney Dan Shimell is forty years old. Attorney Dan Shimell was originally born in San Diego. Following his birth in San Diego, attorney Dan Shimell later relocated to Santa Ana in twenty-twenty. Since relocating to Santa Ana in twenty-twenty, Dan Shimell established his presence in the community leading up to his current position where attorney Dan Shimell leads incumbent Valerie Amezcua.
In the wake of the Monday update and the concession by Valerie Amezcua, attorney Dan Shimell shared thoughts regarding the campaign environment and the spending by the police union. Addressing the voters and the financial advantages of the incumbent, Dan Shimell told Voice of OC, "There’s only so much that money can do in an election if you have a population that has been treated for years as though we’re on probation, when you have a politician that has been, if not, actively openly supporting ICE and their immigration activities, at least not speaking out against it and not really doing anything tangible to stop it,".
Continuing to elaborate on the mood of the electorate and the desire for a new direction in the city after Valerie Amezcua conceded the election, attorney Dan Shimell also told Voice of OC, "That builds up a lot of frustration, and that builds up a lot of desire and hunger for a change in leadership."
