Endorsement: Tim Shaw for Orange County's 4th District

There's an open seat before Orange County voters this June, with Supervisor Doug Chaffee termed out after serving two terms on the Board of Supervisors. The district is spread across Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia, Stanton and Anaheim.

To succeed him, due to his experience and fiscal prudence, we endorse Tim Shaw for Orange County supervisor in the 4th District in the June 2 primary election.

Shaw, a Republican, is the government affairs director for the Pacific West Association of Realtors and in 2020 was elected a member of the OC Board of Education. A key government budget number we look at is the unrestricted net position in an Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. For the OC Department of Education, in the ACFR for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, the UNP was a positive $259 million, reflecting good fiscal management.

That acumen will be needed on the county board because, for its ACFR for the same period, the UNP was a negative $957 million. If the economy sours, as may happen with higher oil and gasoline prices, there will be a temptation to raise taxes, which must be resisted. "I'm running to make sure Orange County has a more limited government, with lower taxes and private property rights intact," he told us in an interview.

There are two formidable candidates up against Shaw.

One is Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung, a businessman and former Democrat who last September re-registered as No Party Preference. Although not a Republican, he told us he embraces the party's "fiscal conservatism."

In an odd development, the Republican Lincoln Club endorsed Jung over Shaw. "Fred has a money advantage over his other opponents, and we think Fred is a business leader," President Brandon Day told us. What should be making this awkward for the Lincoln Club is Jung's championing higher taxes in his city, which is hardly a conservative or business-friendly approach to government.

Another major candidate is the sensible Buena Park Mayor Connor Traut. "I truly believe I'm someone who's been independent in my track record," he told us. He promised to protect Proposition 13, the 1978 tax limitation measure, "at all costs."

Though Traut enjoys the formidable support of local public employee unions, we actually think Traut is a sharp and capable leader. We particularly appreciated his enthusiasm for transparency, the use of AI to help speed up government processes and his pro-housing stances.

Though Traut is a Democrat, we do note that Shaw actually spoke much more strongly in support of police oversight and the county's much-neglected Office of Independent Review.

There is a fourth candidate in this race, La Habra Councilmember Rose Espinoza, but she failed to respond to multiple efforts to ask her questions.

Bottom line: Shaw's history of protecting the taxpayers' dollars has earned voters' trust and our endorsement.

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