Could Orange County help determine the balance of power in Congress?

Good morning. It’s Friday, May 3. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

• Most Orange County Republicans deny 2020 election results, potentially swaying key congressional races, poll finds.
• UCLA struggles to recover after 200 were arrested, pro-Palestinian camp torn down.
• Seven must-try Brazilian restaurants in Culver City (and beyond).
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper

Some Orange County residents are skeptical of election results, poll finds

Could Orange County help determine the balance of power in Congress?

A UC Irvine School of Social Ecology poll released last month offers some new insights into the electoral role that will be played by this purple county, which is almost evenly split between Democrats at 33%, Republicans, 32%, and Independents, 35%. My colleague Hannah Fry reported on some of the key poll findings.

First off, an overview: Residents believe that the county is on the right track, but a majority think things aren’t going in the right direction nationwide. They are all concerned about the economy. But Democrats are more passionate about abortion issues than Republicans, who are more focused on topics such as foreign policy and immigration. The poll surveyed 840 Orange County adults.

And questions about the integrity of the election process — which have been stoked nationally in large part by former President Trump’s claims that victory was stolen from him — echo in Orange County.

Election skepticism is real

The poll found that 26% of the adults surveyed do not believe Biden won the presidency legitimately in 2020. An additional 17% said they were unsure about the question.

Most county Democrats, 88%, believe the 2020 election results — with 54% of independents in agreement. But a majority of Republicans, 55%, thought Biden’s win was illegitimate. The remaining 46% of independents was split evenly between those who are skeptical of the 2020 election results and those who are unsure — both at 23% each.

The rising popularity of vote-by-mail ballots, which began during the pandemic, has changed “the pattern of vote counting as results trickle in, fueling beliefs that something nefarious is afoot,” Hannah wrote.

“Trump was winning on election night, and then as more and more votes were counted, he began to lose,” Jon Gould, dean of the UCI School of Social Ecology, who spearheaded the poll, told Hannah. “That looks to some people like someone’s been tweaking the election results, as opposed to people for the first time being exposed to vote by mail.”

Why this is important

General mistrust in elections could determine the fate of highly competitive congressional races in Orange County, particularly the 45th and 47th districts, where even a few votes could sway the results and thus the balance of power in Congress.

In the 45th District, Democrat Derek Tran is running against incumbent Republican Rep. Michelle Steel. Democrat state Sen. Dave Min and Republican Scott Baugh are competing to replace Democratic Rep. Katie Porter in the 47th District, which is largely a coastal district.

“Distrust in the election system may very well convince some people not to participate,” Gould said. “What we’re seeing is that people who distrust it more tend to skew to the right, and so that would hurt Republicans.”

What is a “double hater?”

When asked about their impressions of Biden, 58% expressed strong or somewhat unfavorable ideas. Similarly, when asked about Trump, 59% had strong or somewhat negative thoughts of Trump.

Then there are the Orange County “double haters,” the 22% who do not have favorable impressions of Biden or Trump. Among likeliest voters who are “double haters,” the percentage of those who said they would vote for Biden in 2024 was almost three times more than those who said they would choose Trump — 44% for the first, 15% for the latter. However, 30% said they would prefer a third-party presidential candidate.

But most concerning to Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page has been questions about the integrity of the election process. He started conducting open tours of the ballot counting operation in Santa Ana during the 2022 midterms in an effort to show people the process and alleviate concerns. Yet the poll showed election skepticism has persisted.

Today’s top stories

Figueroa Eight, a 41-story apartment tower designed by one of L.A.’s most prominent architects, features a rooftop saltwater pool with cabanas and poolside bar in downtown Los Angeles.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Business

• A tale of two downtowns in L.A.: As offices languish, apartments thrive.
• Universal Music Group artists are dancing back to TikTok after licensing dispute is resolved.
• Meta now has an AI chatbot. Experts say get ready for more AI-powered social media.
• Panda Express is the latest to be hacked. What to do when your personal data are exposed.
• Sony and Apollo make formal $26-billion joint bid for Paramount.

Pro-Palestinian protests on campuses

• UCLA struggles to recover after 200 were arrested, pro-Palestinian camp torn down.
• Biden says ‘order must prevail’ during campus protests over Gaza.
• Jailed students, a canceled commencement, and angry parents: USC’s Carol Folt takes on critics.
• UCLA sought extra police but canceled requests in days before protest camp was attacked.
• Who were the masked men behind the UCLA camp attack? Online sleuths vow to find out.
• With remains of UCLA camp tossed in the dumpster, Gaza activists assess the future.

Sports

• Former Dodger Julio Urías has been ordered to a treatment program after pleading no contest to domestic battery.
• Ex-Dodger Jayson Werth has a horse in the Kentucky Derby. It took him just two years.

Courts

• A lawsuit appears to be in peril for California children harmed by climate change.
• Captain gets four-year sentence for Conception boat disaster.
• A judge in major gun cases is reprimanded after a 13-year-old girl is handcuffed in court.

More big stories

• Oversight inspectors accuse Sheriff’s Department of retaliation after reports on jail fires.
• How a ‘death trap’ for fish in California’s water system is limiting the pumping of supplies.
• Official in hot seat for attempting to link home loan company with proposed California Forever project.
• ‘Folks, it’s bad’: Merced sheriff warns of public safety crisis as deputy vacancies mount.
• Affordable housing at the cost of existing tenants? L.A. council seeks new protections.
• RFK Jr. could be a spoiler in November. But will it help Biden or Trump?
• LAX People Mover gets $200 million more to resolve claims between contractor and airport.
• Long Beach health officials declare tuberculosis outbreak a public health emergency.
  

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Commentary and opinions

• Editorial: Biden is expanding two California national monuments. He shouldn’t stop there.
• Harry Litman: The Trump prosecution has a Michael Cohen problem — and a plan to solve it.
• Mary McNamara: Fears about ‘Ozempic babies’ show how woeful U.S. women’s healthcare really is.

Today’s great reads

Tiffany Haddish at her home in South Los Angeles.

(Kayla James / For The Times)

Tiffany Haddish just can’t quit. Even when she knows she should. There has definitely been a palpable vibe shift surrounding Haddish, Amy Kaufman writes. It’s not that she doesn’t still get work — in the last year she’s appeared in Disney’s “Haunted Mansion,” the last season of “The Afterparty” on Apple TV+ and a film role in the forthcoming “Bad Boys” sequel. But she’s no longer one of those beloved stars everyone seems to root for.

Other great reads

• With oil funds and Formula One, Saudi Arabia steamrolls its way onto sports’ hallowed grounds.
• Tarot is everywhere. But her fresh decks are ‘a little less caftan, a little more rock ‘n’ roll.’
  

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For your downtime

Eliot Jackson rides on one of the tracks at Inglewood Pumptrack.

(Alisha Jucevic / For The Times)

Going out

• 🚴🏽 Zip, zoom and soar in L.A.’s extraordinary new playground for bike riders.
• 🍽️ Seven must-try Brazilian restaurants in Culver City (and beyond).

Staying in

• 📺 🐕 These 8 ‘Bluey’ episodes could hint at what’s next for the beloved show.
• 📘‘Harry Potter’ set at an HBCU? LaDarrion Williams wrote the book he always wanted to read.
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And finally ... a great photo

Show us your favorite place in California! We’re running low on submissions. Send us photos that scream California and we may feature them in an edition of Essential California.

A collage of six portraits of poker players who are also in the art world. Top row: Eric Kim, left, is co-owner and director of art gallery Bel Ami; Parker Ito is in front of his own artwork, and artist Higinio Martinez with chocolate poker chips. Bottom row: artist Jason Roussos, left, Sophia Amoruso and Lauren Studebaker.

(Maggie Shannon / For The Times)

Today’s great photo is from Times contributor Maggie Shannon at the secret poker games opening doors in L.A.’s art scene.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team

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