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Former federal prosecutor Ashleigh Aitken has won the election for Anaheim Mayor. Aitken leads her nearest competitor by more than 5,000 votes and that margin is expected to grow as more ballots are counted.
Upon being sworn-in, Aitken will be the first woman Mayor in Anaheim’s 152-year history. Anaheim is the 10th largest city in California, the home of two professional sports franchises, and the economic engine of Orange County due to its tourism and convention center business.
In announcing her campaign’s victory, Aitken released the following statement:
“This has been a difficult year for Anaheim. The FBI probe and scandals created by former Mayor Harry Sidhu, and those who enabled him, have left a cloud over our city and shaken confidence in City Hall. I’m humbled that the voters of Anaheim have chosen me to help lead our city at this critical time. As Mayor, I’ll listen to residents and work hard to bring people together in order to implement reforms and deliver results. Anaheim is an incredible city. I’ll fight every day to ensure our city government lives up to its obligations to our residents. I’m grateful for this moment, and I can’t wait to get to work.”
Aitken’s campaign had to overcome more than $270,000 in false and misleading attack ads funded by the Orange County Lincoln Club. The Lincoln Club also spent $134,000 boosting a minor candidate in an attempt to help the fledgling campaign of Anaheim Vice Mayor Trevor O’Neil. In 2018, the Lincoln Club endorsed Harry Sidhu who resigned in disgrace earlier this year after the FBI probe at City Hall became public. O’Neil is widely viewed as Sidhu’s closest political ally.
