2022 elections: Orange County’s Assembly races draw $2.7 million in donations

The 26 candidates competing in the June 7 primary for nine Assembly seats that cover portions of Orange County raised a combined $2.7 million in 2021, according to campaign finance reports due to the state this week.

That figure is expected to shoot up significantly over the next four months, particularly since redistricting shuffled boundaries in late December and at least 14 serious candidates entered local Assembly races after the close of the lastest reporting period for fundraising. But a look at 2021 totals still offers an early clue at which races will be heated this year and which candidates are likely to struggle to get enough funds to be competitive.