OC Supervisor Don Wagner kicks off his 2024 campaign

Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner is running for reelection in 2024 — in a district that will be at least somewhat new to him.

Wagner on Friday, Feb. 10, announced his campaign on the steps of the old Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana where he touted his past achievements.

“As supervisor, I have embraced the challenges and solutions to build a better Orange County,” Wagner, whose term ends in January 2025, said. “We were successful in bringing key parties together to build a state-of-the-art mental health facility, fund a veteran’s cemetery in Anaheim Hills and improve public safety.”

“We have had great success, but my work is not done. I’m here to build on the successes we have had to improve the lives of every resident of the 3rd District and all of Orange County,” Wagner said.

Wagner, a North Tustin resident, said he believes the county is headed in a positive direction and has been in a good place despite challenges, such as COVID-19 and homelessness.

“A lot of the cities in my district and throughout Orange County are among the safest to live in in the nation,” Wagner told the Register. “Continuing that progress and (making) sure we keep that quality of life is important.”

He said the county needs to ensure it’s focusing on its budget.

“The budget is in balance this year, but a lot of that is propped up by federal spending,” Wagner said. “We received over $1 billion in federal COVID spending. I expect those dollars to go away in the coming year and beyond so we’ve got to work very carefully to balance our budget.”

Wagner was elected chair of the Board of Supervisors in January.

He is running in the newly drawn 3rd District, which spans 10 cities, including portions of Anaheim, Irvine and Mission Viejo as well as unincorporated areas of Orange County. He already represents close to two-thirds of the district, according to his office.

Heading into 2024, Wagner has the support of several local, state and federal elected Republican officials, including Reps. Young Kim and Michelle Steel, state Assemblymember Philip Chen, Mission Viejo Mayor Brian Goodell and Newport Beach Mayor Noah Blom.

And Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes joined Wagner for his announcement on Friday.

“Supervisor Don Wagner has been a tireless advocate for public safety in our community,” Barnes said.

Wagner, a former Republican state assemblymember and Irvine mayor, was first elected in 2019 in a special election to fill the seat vacated by Todd Spitzer after he was elected district attorney. He went on to win a full four-year term in 2020.